Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Power plants using too much water?

So are coal-burning power plants along the Ohio River using too much water? One group thinks so, and it wants the federal government to release documents on its study of water use by electric generating stations.


Quoting from the news release:


"As growing swaths of the United States face dwindling water supplies and even outright drought, the U.S. electric sector already withdraws 42 trillion gallons of water each year — more than 200 billion gallons a day, the equivalent of more than half of the water flowing through the Ohio River each year. ...


"… we estimate that generators along the Ohio River withdraw so much water that for every gallon which spills into the Mississippi River at Cairo, IL, one cup has passed through a generator on the banks of the Ohio River, and one tablespoon has evaporated to the atmosphere …According to data collected by the United States Geographic Survey (USGS), water withdrawals from thermoelectric power sources account for 49 percent of total withdrawals in the United States in 2005. This is equivalent to more than 201 billion gallons of water per day that is used for power plant cooling alone."





4 comments:

Angela said...

I grew up around the John Amos Power Plant. I really don't think that they are draining the river of all it's water! I've never seen the Kanawha River low. If anything I think perhaps they could be helping to keep it from flooding in the area!

tanstaafl said...

CSI seems to banging their own drum, maybe to drum up added contributions? I don't know, I am not familiar with the group.

But I did note that nowhere in the report is it noted that all that water withdrawn is returned. It is not like it is lost down some black hole.

Aint statistics great?

ohio981 said...

When I read the news release, I thought a group had found another way to criticize coal-fired power plants. I probably should check into them, but ...

There are things about coal power that are worse than most people think. I'm not talking about mercury coming out of the smoke stacks or anything like that. But coal is all we got right now. I heard on the radio today that the Public Service Commission might approve an electric rate hike this week, and I thought, well, they have to pay for those scrubbers and all that other new stuff somehow.

Not that I like paying higher electric bills. Last night, the wolves came to my back door, and they left me a CARE package.

fabio said...

I've read somewhere that from 2012 the water of the thames in london will be potable and drinkable...it is necessary because of the growing demand on water in the city.