{"id":2890,"date":"2008-04-16T08:43:31","date_gmt":"2008-04-16T14:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/2008\/04\/16\/tapping-the-wind-and-sun-to-save-water\/"},"modified":"2008-04-16T08:43:31","modified_gmt":"2008-04-16T14:43:31","slug":"tapping-the-wind-and-sun-to-save-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/tapping-the-wind-and-sun-to-save-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Tapping the Wind and Sun to Save Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is by Dr. Bill Chameides<\/a>, Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment and lead author of the forthcoming blog The Green Grok<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Everyone knows we need green energy to fight global warming. But there\u2019s another big reason to tap renewable power sources \u2013- not enough water.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Large swaths of the Southwest and Southeast are in the throes of debilitating droughts. North Texas and Oklahoma\u2019s recent dry spell dragged on from 2003 to the spring of 2007 (more on U.S. droughts<\/a>). Droughts have even wiped out entire civilizations like the Anasazi (see Jared Diamond\u2019s Collapse<\/a> and Eugene Linden\u2018s Winds of Change<\/a>).<\/p>\n

But today\u2019s water problems are far more profound than those of the Anasazi. The huge quantities we use — unprecedented in human history — make us more vulnerable to drought. Our water woes stem from an ever-increasing demand for water to slake the thirsts of a growing population on the one hand and to irrigate crops to feed that same population on the other. <\/p>\n

Few people appreciate that yet another sector is clamoring for more water — the power industry. Fortunately we have the technology to wean this one from our dwindling supplies.<\/p>\n

Another water hog: Conventional power plants<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you noticed that power plants tend to be located near rivers, lakes or oceans? Do you know why? Easy, they need lots and lots of water.<\/p>\n

Niagara Mohawk\u2019s Dunkirk steam station in New YorkConventional and nuclear power plants, like the coal-fired plant pictured here on Lake Erie, are usually located by a lake or river because they need lots of water to operate. NREL\/David Parsons<\/em><\/p>\n

Coal-burning, natural gas-fired and nuclear power plants (which together produce about 90% of the country\u2019s power<\/a>) all generate electricity through a thermal process. They burn fossil fuels or split atoms to generate heat to boil water. The resulting pressurized steam turns a turbine that drives a generator that produces electricity.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a process that produces lots of waste heat, which must be dissipated to keep the plant from overheating. So in addition to the source of water needed to make the steam (usually the nearby river or lake), even more water, generally much more than that required to make the steam, is needed to cool things down. <\/p>\n

Because water is so integral to conventional and nuclear power production, strained water supplies put energy production at risk. A case in point is the Corette Power Plant in Billings, Montana, which siphons water daily from the Yellowstone River to produce electricity. The plant needs the river flow to be above 1,500 cubic feet per second to stay online. A recent dip below this level prompted a shutdown.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this is not anomalous. Reduced water supplies are wreaking havoc across the country, fueling debate and water wars. A list of troubles includes:<\/p>\n