Seven million people a year die from air pollution, and a lot of it comes from power plants. Fossil-fueled power plants
emit air pollutants that damage health like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. People downwind of power plants experience higher rates of health problems like asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death caused by breathing these pollutants.
Every time any device–from a small laptop to a powerful electric vehicle charger–draws power, at least one power plant on the local grid (the “marginal” generator) immediately ramps up to provide that energy. Which power plant is the one that responds changes throughout the day, and some power plants cause much more pollution and harm than others. So, using electricity at some times and places causes more harm than using it at other times and places.