PRIVATE EQUITY, PUBLIC HARM

The report finds that private equity-backed fossil fuel infrastructure in the U.S. causes between $11.3 and $15.1 billion in annual human health damages, resulting in nearly 1,000 premature deaths and 1,500 emergency room visits each year. A small group of firms, specifically ArcLight, Energy Capital Partners (ECP), and Quantum Capital, are responsible for approximately 20% of these impacts. The General J.M. Gavin coal plant in Ohio is identified as the single most harmful facility, causing an estimated $1.7 billion in annual health impacts. Regional analysis highlights a disproportionate burden in the Mid-Atlantic/New England area, where people are three times more likely to die from this pollution than in the rest of the U.S., and in Texas, which ranks first in asthma onset and symptoms due to its large population and proximity to the Permian Basin.

• Private equity-backed fossil fuel infrastructure in the U.S., including coal plants, LNG terminals, and oil and gas extraction sites, causes estimated annual human health damages between $11.3 billion and $15.1 billion.
• The air pollution from these facilities is linked to nearly 1,000 premature deaths and nearly 1,500 emergency room visits annually, as well as over 250,000 lost school days and 27,000 lost work days.
• Three private equity firmsArcLight, Energy Capital Partners (ECP), and Quantum Capitalare responsible for roughly 20% of the total health impacts, with estimated annual costs between $2.5 billion and $3.7 billion.
• The General J.M. Gavin coal plant in southeastern Ohio is the most harmful individual facility in the study, accounting for approximately 19% of all health impacts with an estimated $1.7 billion in annual damages.
• The Mid-Atlantic and New England regions are disproportionately affected; people there are three times more likely to die from PE-backed air pollution than in the rest of the U.S., with eight facilities across five firms causing 91% of the region's $5.6 billion in health impacts.
• Texas is one of the most heavily impacted states, ranking first in asthma onset, asthma symptoms, and hay fever, largely due to its high population and proximity to the Permian Basin oil and gas extraction sites.
• Coal-fired power plants have a significantly higher per capita impact than other infrastructure types, creating five times more impact per person than oil and gas extraction, LNG terminals, and coal mines combined.

APA

Hurley, A. (2025). PRIVATE EQUITY, PUBLIC HARM. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/PECR_June_2025_Report_3.pdf

Chicago

Hurley, Alex. PRIVATE EQUITY, PUBLIC HARM. Global Energy Monitor, 2025. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/PECR_June_2025_Report_3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hurley |first1=Alex |title=PRIVATE EQUITY, PUBLIC HARM |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=June 2025 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/PECR_June_2025_Report_3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hurley2025private, author = {Hurley, Alex}, title = {{PRIVATE EQUITY, PUBLIC HARM}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/PECR_June_2025_Report_3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }