Water-Smart Power: Strengthening the U.S. Electricity System in a Warming World-- A Report of the Energy and Water in a Warming World Initiative (EW3)We can build an electricity system that protects our water resources and dramatically reduces global warming emissions The country stands at a critical crossroads. Many aging, water-intensive power plants are nearing the end of their lives. The choices we make to replace them will determine the water and climate implications of our electricity system for decades to come. Todays electricity system cannot meet our needs in a future of growing demand for power, worsening strains on water resources, and an urgent need to mitigate climate change. But we can dramatically reduce these water and climate risks by choosing options such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. The key is to understand what a low-carbon, "water-smart" electricity future looks like and to make decisions today that move the country down that path. Energy-water collisions are happening now, and are poised to worsen in a warming worldThe heat waves and drought that hit the U.S. in 2011 and 2012 shined a harsh light on the vulnerability of the U.S. power sector to extreme weather, and revealed water-related electricity risks across the country.
The U.S. power sector is undergoing a rapid transformation, which presents a unique opportunity for system-wide changeThe biggest shift in half a century is underway in the U.S. power sector, as electricity from coal plants shrinks and power from natural gas and renewables grows.
Replacing coal primarily with natural gas has significant climate and water risksThe U.S. power sector is currently on a "business-as-usual" pathway that would primarily replace coal with natural gas, which is currently projected to supply 60 percent of the country's power by 2050.
U.S. Electricity Mix
2010-2050 Focusing instead on water-smart energy choices, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency, would dramatically reduce carbon emissions and water useThe U.S. has the technology and resources to more than meet the projected 2050 growth in electricity demand through improved energy efficiency, and produce 80 percent of the remainder from renewable energy sources.
To accomplish this and to safeguard our water resources and effectively address climate change we must make decisions today that prioritize low-carbon, water-smart options in the U.S. electricity mix. Fuel and technology options already available provide the means to strengthen the U.S. electricity system. Going forward, electricity decisions should meet water-smart criteria that point decision makers to options that make sense locally, are cost-effective, and reduce both carbon emissions and exposure to water-related risks. Images (top; middle; bottom): Wikimedia Commons, Arnold Paul; Flickr, Mollivan Jon; Flickr, Argonne National Laboratory The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C. To subscribe or visit go to: http://www.ucsusa.org http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/energy-and-water-use/water-smart-power.html |