Regulatory actions and fuel price trends have decreased emissions from electricity generating units (EGUs) in the United States. The objective of this study is to separate coincident regulatory and fuel price impacts on EGU emissions and air pollution in Atlanta and New York City (NYC) between 2006 and 2019. We used observed fuel prices, EGU emissions, and air pollutant concentrations to estimate what air pollutant concentrations would have been under counterfactual fuel price and regulatory scenarios. When the actual and counterfactual scenarios were compared, fuel prices influenced EGU dispatch, which reduced ozone and PM2.5 concentrations in Atlanta beginning in 2009 and PM2.5 concentrations in NYC beginning in 2012. Beginning in 2008, installations of emissions controls due to the Clean Air Interstate Rule and enforcement of the New Source Review reduced PM2.5 concentrations year-round but increased ozone concentrations during the winter months. Coal-fired EGU retirements due to the combined influence of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, and other market and policy factors account for the remaining long-term reductions in PM2.5 and ozone concentrations. Such information can be used to estimate the air quality and health benefits of past air quality regulations to aid the development of future emissions reductions strategies.Recommended citation: Mei, Eric J., Gao, Z., Hopke, P. K., Ebelt, S., Rich, D. Q., & Russell, A. G. (2024). Impacts of Fuel Prices and Regulations on Electricity Generation Emissions and Urban Air Quality. ACS ES&T Air. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestair.3c00034
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