Water and Watts: VIRGINIA

This fact sheet outlines the interdependence of energy and water resources in Virginia, highlighting the high volume of freshwater used for thermoelectric power cooling and proposing policy priorities to improve efficiency and resource management.

• In Virginia, thermoelectric power plants account for 75% of freshwater withdrawals to satisfy cooling requirements, with an estimated consumption of 1 gallon for every 3 kWh of electricity produced.
• Water-related energy costs are significant, with water heating representing approximately 25% of residential energy bills and water/wastewater treatment accounting for roughly 30% of municipal energy expenses.
• Implementing high-efficiency WaterSense® labeled toilets and faucets in 10% of Virginia homes would result in savings of $19 million in water bills and $8 million in energy bills. Additionally, solar water heating systems can reduce annual homeowner energy costs by $150 or more.

APA

World Resources Institute (2009). Water and Watts: VIRGINIA. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts_va.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Water and Watts: VIRGINIA. 2009. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts_va.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Water and Watts: VIRGINIA |date=April 2009 |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts_va.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2009water, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Water and Watts: VIRGINIA}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts_va.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }