The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s new Clean Power Plan has been heralded as a major
step toward a low-carbon economy in the United States. By reducing carbon
dioxide emissions from power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels by
2030, the new policy is designed to promote the development of
renewable energy sources nationwide.
When it comes to water and fracturing, it’s all about location and time. Photo by Simon Fraser University/Flickr.
However, the plan’s impact on water
resources has been largely overlooked, even though power plants are significant
water users across the U.S., accounting for 45 percent of total water
withdrawals. The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that, on
average, producing the electricity you use in your home results in more
freshwater withdrawals than all of your daily water-related tasks, like
sprinkling lawns and washing dishes. Where that electricity comes from makes a
big difference in how much water is involved, though. Thirsty energy sources
like coal can take 20,000 gallons per megawatt hour to 50,000 gallons per
megawatt hour, while wind power requires almost no water at all.
Water stress will likely
become a more important factor in future energy decisions.By the time the Clean
Power Plan is fully implemented in 2030, over half of the contiguous U.S. is likely
to be arid or suffer from high or extremely high water stress. Since companies, farms and homes in
these areas will already use most of the available water, there will probably
be intense competition for any additional withdrawals. Reports of
a megadrought coming to the central and southwestern U.S. highlight
that region’s vulnerability to growing water scarcity.
So what impact will the
Clean Power Plan have on this water-scarce future? It’s hard to know. How
states decide to meet their individual emissions targets will affect the
nation’s energy mix. Improved energy efficiency would lead power plants to use
less water, while adding carbon capture and sequestration technology to coal
plants would make them even thirstier than they are now.
Natural gas will
probably hold its place in the future U.S. energy mix as a lower-emissions
fossil fuel alternative to coal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
listed the shift of generation from existing coal plants to existing natural
gas plants as one compliance option to reduce emissions. The plan itself predicts that natural gas
will be the nation’s largest electricity source in 2030.
U.S. natural gas
production has risen dramatically over the past decade, largely as a result of
hydraulic fracturing, or fracturing. Much of the debate revolves around water
issues: fracturing a single well requires between 1.8 million and 6
million gallons of water, while drilling a conventional natural gas well takes
only 50,000 to 660,000 gallons. Critics also voice concerns over which contains
high quantities of salt, sand and harmful chemicals.
When it comes to water
and fracturing, it’s all about location and time. Although fracturing accounts
for only one-thousandth of total U.S. water withdrawal, wells are often
clustered in a small area. In fact, almost a third of water use in some U.S.
counties stems from fracturing. Additionally, wells only require large volumes
of water for a few days at the beginning of the fracturing process, so new well
development can make a significant impact on water availability in an area.
Aqueduct’s water stress projections can lend additional insight into the issue:
by 2030, nearly 63 percent of areas in the U.S. where natural gas
could be fracked will be arid or suffer from high or extremely high water
stress.
These high water stress
levels mean that U.S. states need to be careful about where they develop
natural gas resources. Fracturing in a water-stressed area will only add to
existing competition for water by domestic, industrial and agricultural users.
Still, there are ways to lessen the stress. Operators can use non-freshwater
sources or recycle wastewater to decrease freshwater use. Alternatively, states
can invest in renewable energy like wind and solar photovoltaic power, which
require almost no water at all.
The Clean Power Plan is
a major step to bring the U.S. closer to a future powered completely by
low-emissions energy sources. But as states begin to plan how to meet the new
emissions targets, they should keep water in mind. Aqueduct’s water stress
projections allow state policymakers to consider current and future water
issues before deciding how to reach their emissions goals. With proper
implementation, the Clean Power Plan can protect our water as well as our
climate for decades to come.
Prior to
joining WRI, Paul spent 4 years managing a wide range of watershed restoration
projects throughout the US States of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.
Paul also spent time in Latin America working on environmental and social
impact assessments for international energy and mining companies