The energy-water collision

The document describes the 'energy-water collision,' a phenomenon where power plants—particularly conventional fossil-fuel and nuclear facilities—struggle to secure sufficient or cool enough water for cooling processes during heat waves and droughts. It identifies three primary types of collisions: insufficient water levels, incoming water that is too warm to cool plants, and outgoing water that exceeds temperature limits for environmental safety. The text highlights a surge in these incidents during the summer of 2012, noting that even plants on large bodies of water, such as the Millstone nuclear plant on Long Island Sound, are now susceptible to temperature-related shutdowns.

• The 'energy-water collision' occurs when the power sector's need for a steady water supply for cooling steam in fossil-fuel and nuclear plants is compromised by hot, dry summers.
• There are three main ways energy-water collisions manifest: water scarcity forcing the import of water (e.g., Martin Creek Power Plant in Texas in 2011), incoming water being too warm to cool plants (e.g., Prairie Island nuclear plant in Minnesota in 2006), and outgoing water exceeding temperature limits to protect wildlife (e.g., Browns Ferry nuclear plant in Alabama).
• The summer of 2012 saw nearly a dozen new energy-water collisions in the United States, primarily in the upper Midwest and Northeast, marking the highest number of incidents tracked by the publisher.
• Recent incidents in 2012 demonstrate increasing risks: Illinois plants received 'thermal variances' to discharge hotter water despite fish kills, the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant reduced production by up to 17 percent, and the Millstone nuclear plant in Connecticut shut down a reactor for 11 days due to warm water in Long Island Sound.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2012). The energy-water collision. https://www.ucs.org/resources/energy-water-collision

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. The energy-water collision. 2012. https://www.ucs.org/resources/energy-water-collision.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=The energy-water collision |date=27 July 2012 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/energy-water-collision |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2012energywater, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{The energy-water collision}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2012}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/energy-water-collision}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }