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The Impact of CO2 Emission Reduction on U.S. Electric Sector Water Use
Citation:
Cameron, C., W. Yelverton, R. Dodder, AND J. West. The Impact of CO2 Emission Reduction on U.S. Electric Sector Water Use. Presented at 2012 CMAS Conference, Chapel Hill, NC, October 15 - 17, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this poster is to provide an update on work being done to analyze the impacts of carbon dioxide reduction on water use in the U.S. electricity generation sector.
Description:
The electric power sector is currently one of the largest water withdrawers and fastest growing water consumers in the U.S. Water supply in the United States is becoming increasingly stressed due to growth in population, per capita energy consumption and industrial water use. At the same time, climate change is expected to decrease water availability and increase water temperature. These changes have the potential to decrease thermoelectric cooling capacity and, as a result, to threaten U.S. electric power reliability. Reducing the dependency of our power supply on water availability will thus be a critical component of our adaptation to climate change. This study explores how four scenarios of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction in the U.S. could impact the water use of the electric power sector through 2055 using simulations of the EPA’s U.S. 9-region (EPAUS9r) MARKAL (MARKet ALlocation) integrated energy systems model. MARKAL is a least-cost optimization model that represents energy supplies, technologies and demands at the regional level using the nine U.S. Census Divisions. Outputs are produced for 5-year time steps over a modeling horizon from 2005 to 2055. Water withdrawal and consumption factors for electricity generating technologies were assigned in the EPAUS9r database using data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)3. Generator specific cooling system data was collected from EIA Forms 767 and 860. Data for unaccounted generators was coded individually through visual identification using satellite imagery. Four scenarios of CO2 emission reduction were created to simulate increasingly aggressive carbon limits: Base: Model run with no constraints on CO2. 10% CO2 Reduction: Total emissions of CO2 from all sectors were constrained at 2005 levels in 2015 and then decreased linearly to a 10% reduction in 2055. 25% CO2 Reduction: Total emissions of CO2 from all sectors were constrained at 2005 levels in 2015 and then decreased linearly to a 25% reduction in 2055. 50% CO2 Reduction: Total emissions of CO2 from all sectors were constrained at 2005 levels in 2015 and then decreased linearly to a 50% reduction in 2055. Scenarios were then analyzed for their effect on electric sector technology mix and associated water use.