Water withdrawal and consumption trends for thermoelectric-power plants in the conterminous United States, 2008-2020

Abstract

Freshwater-using utility-scale thermoelectric (TE) plant water-use estimates were evaluated for annual trends from 2008 to 2020 across the conterminous United States (CONUS) and within hydrologic regions. Overall, TE water withdrawal and consumption trends declined across CONUS by 14,335 and 278 million liters/day, respectively. Decreasing water withdrawal and consumption trends for TE plants are driven largely by switching from coal-fired plants to other generation technologies. TE plant cooling system technology has also changed, with large declining trends for TE plants using once-through cooling systems and small increasing consumption trends for TE plants using recirculating tower cooling systems. Fifteen hydrologic regions have decreasing trends in withdrawals and consumption. The largest decreases are for coal-fired plants using once-through freshwater cooling systems in the Great Lakes and Ohio hydrologic regions. Natural gas combined cycle plants with recirculating tower cooling systems have increased water consumption trends across most of the CONUS hydrologic regions. Some TE plants with recirculating tower or once-through cooling systems withdraw water volumes that on average are close to or exceed average simulated streamflows. Most of these situations occur in the central and eastern U.S., potentially leading to water availability issues among competing water needs, ecosystem impacts from thermal pollution, and power generation constraints.