Water-Smart Power

The report analyzes the intersection of the U.S. electricity sector, water resources, and climate change, arguing that current power generation is vulnerable to water scarcity and high temperatures. Through modeling of four scenarios—Business as Usual, Renewables-and-Efficiency, CCS-and-Nuclear, and a general Carbon Budget—the authors find that a transition toward renewable energy and energy efficiency can drastically reduce both carbon emissions and water withdrawals and consumption. Conversely, low-carbon options like nuclear power and carbon capture and storage (CCS) remain water-intensive. The report provides a set of "water-smart criteria" for decision-makers to enhance the resilience of the U.S. power grid in a warming world.

• The U.S. electricity sector is currently experiencing "energy-water collisions" where water dependence leaves plants vulnerable to drought and heat, leading to reduced output or total shutdowns, as seen in 2012.
• A "business as usual" pathway for the U.S. power sector would fail to significantly reduce carbon emissions and would only slowly reduce water consumption, leaving the system exposed to climate risks.
• A pathway prioritizing renewable energy and energy efficiency could reduce water withdrawals by 97 percent and water consumption by 85 percent by 2050 compared to current levels.
• Not all low-carbon energy options are water-efficient; technologies such as nuclear power and carbon capture and storage (CCS) can increase water consumption.
• Under a renewables-and-efficiency scenario, consumer electricity bills could be nearly one-third lower than under a business-as-usual scenario.
• In the Southwest, a renewables-and-efficiency pathway could save 2 trillion gallons (6 million acre-feet) of groundwater by 2050 compared to business as usual.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) significantly increases the water intensity of power production, with consumption potentially rising 45 to 90 percent.
• The report proposes "water-smart criteria" for decision-makers, which include addressing carbon, considering water risks, building resilience to hydrologic variability, accounting for local needs, and ensuring cost-effectiveness.

APA

Rogers, J., Averyt, K., Clemmer, S., Davis, M., Flores-Lopez, F., Kenney, D., Macknick, J., Madden, N., Meldrum, J., Sattler, S., Spanger-Siegfried, E., Yates, D., Frumhoff, P., Hornberger, G., Jackson, R., Newmark, R., Overpeck, J., Udall, B., & Webber, M. (2013). Water-Smart Power. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Water-Smart-Power-Full-Report.pdf

Chicago

Rogers, John, Kristen Averyt, Steve Clemmer, Michelle Davis, Francisco Flores-Lopez, Doug Kenney, Jordan Macknick, et al. Water-Smart Power. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Water-Smart-Power-Full-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rogers |first1=John |last2=Averyt |first2=Kristen |last3=Clemmer |first3=Steve |last4=Davis |first4=Michelle |last5=Flores-Lopez |first5=Francisco |last6=Kenney |first6=Doug |last7=Macknick |first7=Jordan |last8=Madden |first8=Nadia |last9=Meldrum |first9=James |display-authors=etal |title=Water-Smart Power |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=July 2013 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Water-Smart-Power-Full-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rogers2013watersmart, author = {Rogers, John and Averyt, Kristen and Clemmer, Steve and Davis, Michelle and Flores-Lopez, Francisco and Kenney, Doug and Macknick, Jordan and Madden, Nadia and Meldrum, James and Sattler, Sandra and Spanger-Siegfried, Erika and Yates, David and Frumhoff, Peter and Hornberger, George and Jackson, Robert and Newmark, Robin and Overpeck, Jonathan and Udall, Brad and Webber, Michael}, title = {{Water-Smart Power}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2013}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Water-Smart-Power-Full-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }