By Kimberly Tanner
Why solar should be a serious contender for the state’s energy portfolio mix
With the scorching summer nearly behind us, conserving water has been on everyone’s mind. Adequate water supplies is not a given in the Texas future as we look at the possibility of a new drought of record, while the state boasts 5 of the top 10 fastest growing cities in the U.S. All those people need electricity and the power from coal, nuclear, natural gas, hydro and biopower require access to massive amounts of water. Some technologies do return water to the natural environment, but the high cost of cleaning and cooling that water is high and the result is not always effective. In order to make responsible decisions and adapt to the new landscape of water and energy, we will need to educate ourselves and weigh environmental costs and benefits that will affect future generations. The following is information concerning the water-energy nexus and why we think the adoption of solar is important to the state’s energy mix.
- Approximately 400 billion gallons of water are used in the US daily, and nearly half of that goes to produce electricity from fossil fuels and nuclear energy.(1)
- Solar and wind power require the least amount of water compared to other forms of power generation. Think washing the panels (occasionally) and cleaning the turbine (less occasionally).
- Texas produces and consumes more electricity than any other state, accounting for more than one-tenth of total U.S. energy use. Texas’ energy use is tied to its large population, hot climate and extensive industrial sector. Compared to the U.S., Texas has a high concentration of energy-intensive industries, including aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, and petroleum refining. (2)
- Nuclear power plants use and withdraw the largest amount of water since they use water in three different processes. They generate almost one fifth of the electricity produced in the US and 10% of Texas’ electricity.(3) (4)
- Generating electricity from coal, the most abundant fossil fuel, requires 25 gallons of water for each kWh generated.(7) Texas produces more power from coal than any state in the nation. In Texas, it’s hard to consider ‘averages’ with such a diverse state, but the ‘average’ residence uses 1,600kWh of electricity per month .(4)
- 18 gallons of fresh water is evaporated in order to generate one kWh of electricity at a hydroelectric plant. (5)
- Water is often described as the ‘most expensive’ utility because of the amount of energy required to clean it, distribute it, distribute it for cleaning, clean it, and discharge it. Energy consumption for the water and wastewater sectors is expected to increase by 33% in the next twenty years because of global population growth. (6)
- “Cleaning” of wastewater and desalinization for consumption are both highly energy-intensive, although they may play an important role in the future. As we get more and more desperate for water, we may need to utilize these two processes. However we will need to consider whether or not the benefits outweigh the costs.
- A recent report to ERCOT from the Brattle Group found that Texans would have saved $520 Million in electric costs in the killer summer of 2011 if 5,000 MW had been installed to supplement the state electric grid, a proposition sweeten by the fact those 5,000 MW would not have required water.
- The agriculture industry and electricity are the two largest users of water in the nation. As the population increases, the demand for more electricity will increase as well as the need for more food. This will put the two largest water users in competition for our limited water resources. (7).
Kimberly Tanner is an intern with Texas Solar Energy Society. She is a Senior at Texas State University, with a major in Geography/ Resource and Environmental Studies and a minor in Nature and Heritage Tourism.