WATER DEPENDENCY OF ENERGY PRODUCTION AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS

摘要

Water and energy systems are interdependent and constitute the foundation for modern infrastructures around the world. While energy is needed for water withdrawal, treatment, and distribution, water scarcity is a detrimental factor for energy production and power generation systems. For example, power plants in the Susquehanna River Basin faced difficulty securing adequate water for power generation during the 1994 drought, while Washington State spent one million dollars in 2001 to offset Bonneville Power Administration's lost revenues due to water shortage. If current trends hold, electricity demand of the United States (U.S.) will jump by approximately 50% in the next 25 years, thus exerting additional pressure on water demand. Unfortunately, in the next ten years, many states will face water shortages.