{"id":4622,"date":"2013-07-25T14:27:07","date_gmt":"2013-07-25T14:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=4622"},"modified":"2026-04-06T11:32:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:32:59","slug":"where-is-all-of-the-water-going-a-look-at-which-energy-resources-are-gulping-down-our-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2013\/07\/25\/where-is-all-of-the-water-going-a-look-at-which-energy-resources-are-gulping-down-our-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Is All Of The Water Going? A Look At Which Energy Resources Are Gulping Down Our Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019re like so many conscientious consumers, you\u2019ve experienced the disappointment that comes when you realize the lean turkey breast you bought has 300% of your daily value of sodium, negating the benefits of its high-protein and low-fat content. \u00a0Instantly, food choices feel more complex; you\u2019ve learned the hard way that the pursuit of a low-fat diet is not the same as a healthy diet.<\/p>\n

The Energy-Water Nexus<\/a> shows us that our energy choices are much like our food choices: The environmental benefits of an energy diet low in carbon emissions might be diminished by increased water consumption (or waste), and the unforeseen tradeoffs between the two resources (i.e. more sodium in lieu of less fat, can hurt us in the long run).<\/p>\n

Water Intensity<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we have mentioned before, roughly 90% of the energy we use today comes from nuclear or fossil fuel power plants, which require 190 billion gallons of water per day<\/a>, or 39% of all U.S. freshwater withdrawals<\/a> (water \u201cwithdrawal\u201d indicates the water withdrawn from ground level water sources; not to be confused with \u201cconsumption,\u201d which indicates the amount of water lost to evaporation.)<\/p>\n

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The water intensity of these energy resources brings us face-to-face with the realities of energy and water overconsumption. \u00a0High electricity consumption means more water withdrawals, placing extra strain on the water system. \u00a0At the same time, emissions from power plants contribute to climate change, which increases<\/a> the amount of water required to produce energy and intensifies<\/a> severe drought.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to realize that our energy choices have a part to play in these dire situations. \u00a0Let\u2019s look at a breakdown of how energy resources stack up in terms of water consumption and discuss their carbon footprints:<\/p>\n

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Source: KQED.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wet-cooled concentrated solar power plants use slightly more water than coal and natural gas; however, concentrated solar power plants can be designed to use dry-cooling, thereby reducing water demand by more than 90%.\u00a0 Additionally, solar thermal produces zero carbon emissions.<\/p>\n