A regional assessment of the water embedded in the US electricity system

Abstract

Water consumption from electricity systems can be large, and it varies greatly by region. As electricity systems change, understanding the implications for water demand is important, given differential water availability. This letter presents regional water consumption and consumptive intensities for the United States electric grid by region using a 2014 base year, based on the 26 regions in the Environmental Protection Agency's Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database. Estimates encompass operational (i.e. not embodied in fixed assets) water consumption from fuel extraction through conversion, calculated as the sum of induced water consumption for processes upstream of the point of generation (PoG) and water consumed at the PoG. Absolute water consumption and consumptive intensity is driven by thermal power plant cooling requirements. Regional consumption intensities vary by roughly a factor of 20. This variability is largely attributed to water consumption upstream of the PoG, particularly evaporation from reservoirs associated with hydroelectricity. Solar and wind generation, which are expected to continue to grow rapidly, consume very little water and could drive lower water consumption over time. As the electricity grid continues to change in response to policy, economic, and climatic drivers, understanding potential impacts on local water resources can inform changes.

Reanalysis of Water Withdrawal for Irrigation, Electric Power, and Public Supply Sectors in the Conterminous United States, 1950–2016

“…As one example, thermoelectric water use has been reported by two federal agencies, the USGS and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Estimates of thermoelectric water withdrawals between these agencies are based on different methods have been shown to vary substantially (Peer et al., 2016, 2019; M. A. Harris & Diehl, 2017). In both cases, water use at the power plant level is only provided for individual years or only recent years (post‐2000) and is estimated for only a subset of power plants ( n < 1400 as of 2010).…”

“…In both cases, water use at the power plant level is only provided for individual years or only recent years (post‐2000) and is estimated for only a subset of power plants ( n < 1400 as of 2010). However, according to the EIA, over 8,000 power plants were operating in the US in 2010, many of which use water for operations besides thermoelectric cooling (Macknick et al., 2011; R. A. M. Peer et al., 2019). Comprehensive historical data on water use for electricity production technologies could prove valuable for modeling, especially evaluating situations of water shortages.…”

“…As one example, thermoelectric water use has been reported by two federal agencies, the USGS and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Estimates of thermoelectric water withdrawals between these agencies are based on different methods have been shown to vary substantially (Peer et al, 2016(Peer et al, , 2019M. A. Harris & Diehl, 2017).…”

Spatially Allocating Life Cycle Water Use for US Coal‐Fired Electricity across Producers, Generators, and Consumers

“…[ 26 ] Peer and Sanders utilized nationally reported water usage data by power plant operators to develop fuel, prime mover, and cooling technology‐specific water intensities. [ 27 ] Most water intensities for electricity generation in the literature are technology‐specific, derived irrespective of geographic location or regional context (though see a study by Peer et al., [ 28 ] which assesses electricity generation water intensities within US eGRID regions).…”

“…Due to the interconnected grid, there can be differences between attributing water footprint at the producer level versus the consumer level. location or regional context (though see a study by Peer et al, [28] which assesses electricity generation water intensities within US eGRID regions).…”