AWEA: Wind energy has saved 2.5 billion gallons of water in California
With the recent announcement by California Governor Jerry Brown ordering the state's residents to conserve water, there has been a detailed look into the energy resources in the state. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), wind energy saved 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2014.
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Wind turbines at San Gorgonio Pass, California. Credit: Wattewyl/Wikimedia Commons |
The AWEA conducted their study using the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) AVERT tool, which they used to determine how wind energy is displacing power produced by which fossil-fired power plants in California. According to AWEA, "That power plant displacement information was then multiplied by the power plant-specific water consumption rates in the Union of Concerned Scientists database, to arrive at total water savings at the state's power plants."
According to the results, those 2.5 billion gallons reportedly saved by wind energy came out to an average of 65 gallons per California resident -- or 200 gallons per household.
The executive order issued by Governor Jerry Brown on April 1 asked for a reduction of 25 percent in water consumption per household, compared to 2013 levels. The reduction is expected to reduce each household to 105 gallons per day -- down from 140 gallons.
AWEA also predicted that if California were to replace their entire fossil fuel fleet, they could save an additional 18 billion gallons of water.
"One of wind energy's most overlooked benefits is that it requires virtually no water to produce electricity, while almost all other electricity sources evaporate tremendous amounts of water," said AWEA. "In 2008, the nation's thermal power plants withdrew 22 to 62 trillion gallons of freshwater from rivers, lakes, streams, and aquifers, and consumed 1 to 2 trillion gallons. By displacing generation from these conventional power plants, U.S. wind energy currently saves around 35 billion gallons of water per year, the equivalent of 120 gallons per person or 285 billion bottles of water."
But wind isn't the only source of energy that is affecting, or is being affected, by California's water shortage. A report released in March found that many other sources of generation have increased in the last year due to the shortage of water affecting output of hydroelectric energy. The report found that between 2011 and 2014, hydroelectric generation fell to below 12 percent of total California electricity generation -- compared to an average of 18 percent in a non-drought year -- and natural gas is taking the place of much of that energy production.
Gov. Brown's drought announcement also included enforcement of local water agencies, including: requiring the sharing of data on water supplies; updating standards for toilets, faucets and outdoor landscaping; and requiring monthly reporting of water usage, conservation, and enforcement local water suppliers.
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