Water Use for Energy
Thermoelectric power plants consume substantial amounts of water each year, impacting the West's valuable rivers, lakes, and groundwater aquifers. New, proposed coal plants threaten to consume even more water. Fortunately, energy efficiency and many forms of renewable energy use negligible amounts of freshwater. Adopting these resources can help meet the West's future energy and water demands.
The water intensity of electricity generation varies considerably, depending on the fuel source and the technology used. Many renewable sources of energy like wind, solar PV, geothermal, and certain types of concentrating solar power consume negligible amounts of water.
Fossil fueled power plants use a tremendous volume of water in the Intermountain West. In the Colorado River basin alone, power plants consume over 167,000 AF of water each year. Scores of other plants rely on groundwater or surface supplies in other watersheds.
Colorado River: Water Use for Power Generation
Map # |
State |
Plant |
Primary Fuel |
Cooling Water Source |
Avg. Annual Consumption |
1 |
AZ |
Desert Basin |
gas |
Central Arizona Project Canal Water |
1,614 |
2 |
AZ |
Navajo |
coal |
Lake Powell |
26,274 |
3 |
AZ |
South Point Energy |
gas |
Colorado River |
1,954 |
4 |
CO |
Craig |
coal |
Yampa River |
14,331 |
5 |
CO |
Hayden |
coal |
Yampa River |
2,823 |
6 |
CO |
Nucla |
coal |
San Miguel River |
1,592 |
7 |
NM |
Four Corners |
coal |
San Juan River |
24,826 |
8 |
NM |
San Juan |
coal |
San Juan River |
19,977 |
9 |
UT |
Bonanza |
coal |
Green River |
7,672 |
10 |
UT |
Carbon |
coal |
Price River |
3,112 |
11 |
UT |
Hunter |
coal |
Cottonwood Creek |
18,746 |
12 |
UT |
Huntington |
coal |
Huntington Creek |
12,377 |
13 |
WY |
Jim Bridger |
coal |
Green River |
25,333 |
14 |
WY |
Naughton |
coal |
Hams Fork River |
6,080 |
Total |
166,712 |
Finding Alternatives that Protect the West’s Water Resources
As water in the West becomes scarcer, its value will undoubtedly rise. Today, most electric utilities do not adequately value water when they create their future resource plans. And although most regulators in western states have the authority to value water in evaluating utilities’ resource plans, most do not. WRA has new research on the prices cities, farmers, electric utilities, and environmental interests are willing to pay for water in the West (coming soon). Evaluating the value of water—both today and in the future—is an important step toward better integration of water issues in electric resource planning. In an upcoming report, WRA highlights the opportunities for utilities and regulators throughout the region to better integrate water into resource planning processes.
WRA has taken a close look at two regions: the state of Nevada and the Arkansas River Basin in Southeastern Colorado. In both regions, water is fully- or over-allocated, but population, water, and energy demands continue to grow. Our analyses illustrate the growing challenge of meeting the regions’ energy and water demands. In both regions, municipal water conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable sources of energy will all be essential measures. In addition, irrigated corn-based ethanol presents an additional, emerging threat to the region’s water resources, particularly in the Arkansas River Basin.
WRA Analysis of water-energy issues by region:
- A Sustainable Path: Meeting Future Water and Energy Demands in the Arkansas River Basin
Executive Summary (459 KB .pdf file)
Presentation on energy and water in the Arkansas River Basin (8.3MB .pdf file) - A Sustainable Path: Meeting Nevada's Water and Energy Demands
Full Report (1.67 MB .pdf file)
WRA first highlighted the water intensity of electricity in its 2003 report, The Last Straw. The report describes practical opportunities to reduce both water use and water quality impacts from power generation. It examines the close relationship between power generation and water, including water use effects on competing uses, water quality and power system reliability. In addition, the report outlines an action agenda that covers fossil-fuel generation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. If implemented, these actions will minimize the impacts from water used for power generation, while ensuring power system reliability, conserving scarce water resources, and protecting rivers, streams and groundwater from unnecessary discharges.