Toward a sustainable megalopolis by reconciling power system decarbonization and urban health resilience

The escalating frequency of extreme heatwaves coupled with the deep decarbonization of the power system pose growing challenges to the reliable operation of metropolitan power systems. In megacity clusters, heatwave-induced blackouts leave densely populated and vulnerable communities exposed to prolonged thermal stress, significantly elevating urban health risks. In response, we proposes a health-aware decarbonization framework that integrates meteorology, power systems, and urban health—offering a comprehensive, systems-level solution to support the development of resilient, and sustainable cities under intensifying climate stress. Our results indicate that while decarbonizing the power system is crucial for meeting climate goals, it may unintentionally increase heat-related deaths in large urban areas. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao megacity cluster, the number of cities with excess death rates over 3% is expected to rise from 1 in 2030 to 9 by 2050. However, health-aware decarbonization strategies can cut excess deaths by 55.38% -65.01% and reduce total annual costs by 8.71% -13.63%. Decarbonization of the power system is crucial for meeting climate goals, but it may unintentionally increase heat-related mortality in large urban areas such as Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, according to an analysis that uses climate, weather, and health data and a statistical approach