Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
兼顾效益的垃圾发电厂：优化选址与产能以保护生物多样性
Waste-to-Energy Power Plants with Less Compromise: Optimizing Location and Capacity for Biodiversity Protection
摘要
Waste-to-energy (WtE) incineration is increasingly promoted as a solution to municipal solid waste management and low-carbon energy generation. However, their deployment raises growing concerns about ecological degradation. This study examines the effects of WtE plants on bird species richness and environmental pollution in China. Using a difference-in-differences (DID) framework and a city-level panel dataset from 2010 to 2024, we conduct heterogeneity analysis, and our results show that biodiversity losses are 9.7% lower around high-capacity WtE facilities compared to low-capacity ones, and 8.7% lower around high-power-generation plants relative to low-power ones. By integrating bird species richness data with vegetation indices and air pollution metrics, we demonstrate that biodiversity loss is primarily driven by environmental degradation linked to WtE operation. Moreover, we employ instrumental variable (IV) strategies to reduce potential endogeneity. We use Double Machine Learning (DML) approaches and county-level regressions as robustness checks. Our findings call for advancement in WtE technologies and retrofit of outdated facilities to improve environmental performance, alongside strategic spatial planning that situates plants in less populated areas with strong transportation networks to balance ecological protection and operational sustainability.
中文摘要
垃圾焚烧发电（WtE）日益被视为城市固体废物管理和低碳能源生产的解决方案。然而，其部署引发了人们对生态退化的日益担忧。本研究考察了WtE电厂对中国鸟类物种丰富度和环境污染的影响。我们采用双重差分（DID）框架和2010年至2024年的城市面板数据集，进行异质性分析，结果表明：与低容量WtE设施相比，高容量WtE设施周边的生物多样性损失低9.7%；与低发电量电厂相比，高发电量电厂周边的生物多样性损失低8.7%。通过将鸟类物种丰富度数据与植被指数和空气污染指标相结合，我们证明生物多样性损失主要由与WtE运营相关的环境退化所驱动。此外，我们采用工具变量（IV）策略以减少潜在的内生性。我们使用双重机器学习（DML）方法和县级回归作为稳健性检验。我们的发现呼吁推进WtE技术并改造老旧设施以改善环境绩效，同时进行战略性空间规划，将电厂选址于人口较少且交通网络发达的地区，以平衡生态保护与运营可持续性。