Clean Energy Development and Public Health: An Empirical Analysis of Cross-Regional Gas Transmission Infrastructure

Promoting the clean energy transition is crucial for environmental sustainability and public health. Utilizing data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) spanning 2006 to 2015, this study employs a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model, treating China's West-East Gas Pipeline Project (WEGT) as a quasi-natural experiment to evaluate the causal impact of natural gas infrastructure expansion on resident health. The empirical results indicate that the WEGT significantly improved public health, with more pronounced effects observed among urban residents and the elderly. Mechanism analysis reveals that the infrastructure improves health primarily by optimizing household energy structures and reducing industrial pollution emissions. Furthermore, the "Coal-to-Gas" policy synergistically enhances these health benefits. Welfare analysis demonstrates that the project reduced medical expenditures and increased local employment. These findings provide empirical evidence for deepening supply-side structural reforms in energy and support the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to good health (SDG 3) and affordable clean energy (SDG 7).