Net Loss: Comparing the Cost of Pollution vs. the Value of Electricity from 51 Coal-Fired Plants

Between 2,700 and 5,700 deaths a year at a cost of $23 to $47 billion can be attributed to pollution from 51 of the dirtiest coal-burning power plants in the United States. Even using the most conservative estimate, the estimated cost to society of the premature deaths caused by 18 of the power plants – including three in Kentucky – actually exceeded the retail value of the electricity generated by each facility in 2011.