Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Themes
    • Water, Sanitation, Hygiene
    • Integrated Water Resource Management
    • Productivity and Efficiency
    • Governance
  • About
  • Training Resources
  • U.S. Domestic Resources
  • Guidance
    • How to Open a Database File
    • How to Open a Document

User menu

  • Log in
  • Sign up

U.S. Water Partnership Resource Portal

  • Integrated Water Resource Management
  • Productivity and Efficiency

Transitioning to Zero Freshwater Withdrawal in the U.S. for Thermoelectric Generation

Link Broken? 
Access this resource
Share
Twitter logo Facebook logo LinkedIn logo
Website (.com, .net, .html)
Published: 
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
U.S. Department of Energy
Drought poses important risks to thermoelectric power production in the United States because of the significant water use in this sector. Here a scoping level analysis is performed to identify the technical tradeoffs and initial cost estimates for retrofitting existing thermoelectric generation to achieve zero freshwater withdrawal and thus reduce drought related vulnerabilities. Specifically, conversion of existing plants to dry cooling or a wet cooling system utilizing non-potable water is considered. The least cost alternative is determined for each of the 1178 freshwater using power plants in the United States. The projected increase in levelized cost of electricity ranges roughly from $0.20 to $20/MW h with a median value of $3.53/MW h. With a wholesale price of electricity running about $35/MW h, many retrofits could be accomplished at levels that would add less than 10% to current power plant generation expenses. Such retrofits would alleviate power plant vulnerabilities to thermal discharge limits in times of drought (particularly in the East) and would save 3.2 Mm3/d of freshwater consumption in watersheds with limited water availability (principally in the West). The estimated impact of retrofits on wastewater and brackish water supply is minimal requiring only a fraction of the available resource. Total parasitic energy requirements to achieve zero freshwater withdrawal are estimated at 140 million MW h or roughly 4.5% of the total production from the retrofitted plants.
Theme(s) & Sub-theme(s): 
DisastersEnergyIntegrated Water Resource Management

Related resources

Potential Impacts of Electric Power Production Utilizing Natural Gas, Renewables and Carbon Capture and Sequestration on U.S. Freshwater Resources
Exploring the Water-Thermoelectric Power Nexus
Water and Sustainability (Volume 3): U.S. Water Consumption for Power Production -- The Next Half Century
U.S. Water Partnership

Footer menu

  • Search USWP Member Sites
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credits

© 2014 U.S. Water Partnership Web Portal