The Water-Energy-Environment Nexus in the Great Lakes Region: The Case for Integrated Resource Planning

Vincent C Tidwell,Victoria Pebbles

doi:10.5539/eer.v5n2p1

Abstract

<p>Water is a critical element of electric power production in the U.S., particularly in the Great Lakes Basin region. Thermoelectric power generation accounts for the majority of all water withdrawals in the Basin, in large part due to the comparatively heavy concentrations of coal and nuclear power generation that utilize open-loop cooling. This paper explores how different energy generation portfolios could affect the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin. The suite of power generation scenarios analyzed reflects a range of potential outcomes resulting from the implementation of key national and regional energy and environmental policies for the electric power industry. These policies include U.S. EPA’s pending power plant cooling water intake standards, state renewable energy portfolio standards, possible climate change legislation, and the 2005 Great Lakes regional water resource agreement (Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact of 2005; Public Law 110–342). Five scenarios were analyzed, resulting in different levels and intensities of total water use (withdrawal and consumption) in hydrologically-sensitive watersheds. These results confirm the close relationship between water and energy in the Great Lakes, and point to the need to take into account water resource impacts in designing future energy and environmental policies.</p>

Highlights

The Great Lakes Basin is home to more than 580 power plants with a combined capacity of over 69,000 megawatts (U.S Energy Information Administration 2009a)
This paper explores how different energy generation portfolios could affect the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin
One reason for the large decrease in withdrawals is that compared to the aforementioned scenarios, the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) case assumes that more plants are retired due to requirements to retrofit these plants in order to achieve the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target

Summary

Introduction

The Great Lakes Basin is home to more than 580 power plants with a combined capacity of over 69,000 megawatts (U.S Energy Information Administration 2009a). As over 62% of this generation uses open-cycle cooling (a water intensive process in which cooling water flows from its source through the plant condenser and directly back to its source), the electric power sector draws more water from the Basin than any other sector. The U.S Geological Survey estimates that thermoelectric power accounts for 98.0 million cubic meters of water withdrawals per day (Mm3/d), or 76% of total water withdrawals in the Great Lakes Basin (Kenny et al, 2009). The majority of these withdrawals, 79%, come directly from the Great Lakes. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact of 2005 (GLSLR Compact) – reflect a growing appreciation for such linkages and a desire to improve our understanding of how water use affects the functional integrity of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem

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Conclusion