How it Works: Water and Electricity

The document outlines the critical role of water in electricity generation, fuel extraction, refining, transportation, and emissions control. It distinguishes between water withdrawal and consumption, noting that electric power generation accounts for nearly 40 percent of US freshwater withdrawals. The text also highlights environmental risks, including thermal pollution, acid rock drainage, and toxic contamination from coal, while noting that wind and solar power have minimal water impacts.

• Water is essential across the entire electricity lifecycle, including generation (specifically for thermoelectric and hydroelectric plants), fuel extraction and production for natural gas, coal, oil, and uranium, fuel refining, transportation via slurries, and the operation of emissions control technologies.
• Electric power generation is responsible for nearly 40 percent of freshwater withdrawals in the United States, totaling approximately 100 billion gallons per day in 2008, primarily for cooling purposes.
• There is a critical distinction between water withdrawal (removing water from a source) and water consumption (water lost to evaporation). Once-through cooling systems have high withdrawals but low consumption, whereas recirculating or closed-loop systems have lower withdrawals but higher consumption.
• Electricity production negatively impacts water quality through thermal pollution, where cooling water can be up to 18º F hotter in summer; acid rock drainage from mining that can make streams as acidic as vinegar; and contamination from coal waste toxins like mercury, lead, and arsenic.
• Clean energy technologies, specifically wind and solar power, generally have few or no impacts on water resources compared to traditional power generation.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2010). How it Works: Water and Electricity. https://www.ucs.org/resources/how-it-works-water-electricity

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. How it Works: Water and Electricity. 2010. https://www.ucs.org/resources/how-it-works-water-electricity.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=How it Works: Water and Electricity |date=30 September 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/how-it-works-water-electricity |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2010how, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{How it Works: Water and Electricity}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/how-it-works-water-electricity}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }