Water for thermoelectric power is used in the process of generating electricity with steam-driven turbine generators. Since 2000, thermoelectric-power withdrawals have been compiled by cooling-system type. Once-through cooling refers to cooling systems in which water is circulated through heat exchangers, and then returned to the source. Recirculating cooling refers to cooling systems in which water is circulated through heat exchangers, cooled using ponds or towers, and then recirculated. Subsequent water withdrawals for a recirculating system are used to replace water lost to evaporation, blowdown, drift, and leakage. Prior to 2000, thermoelectric-power withdrawals were compiled by fuel type (fossil-fuel, nuclear, and geothermal).
Thermoelectric power cooling water sources include fresh and saline water from both surface-water and groundwater sources. Reclaimed wastewater is a supplemental source of water for thermoelectric power, especially in areas where additional water sources are needed for plant operations.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
2015 Water Use
(source: Dieter, C.A., Maupin, M.A., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2018, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1441.)
Total withdrawals for thermoelectric power for 2015 were 133,000 Mgal/d, nearly 100 percent of which was withdrawn from surface-water sources, predominantly freshwater. Total withdrawals for thermoelectric power accounted for 41 percent of total water withdrawals, 34 percent of total freshwater withdrawals, and 48 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals for all uses.
Eastern States accounted for 84 percent of total thermoelectric-power withdrawals in the United States and 70 percent of the related net power generation. Hydroelectric-power generation accounts for about 6 percent of the United States total energy needs and is an important energy source in the Western United States.
| State | Percentage of total withdrawals |
Cumulative percentage of total withdrawals |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 8% | 8% |
| Florida | 7% | 15% |
| Illinois | 6% | 21% |
| Michigan | 6% | 27% |
| New York | 6% | 33% |
Estimated 2015 thermoelectric withdrawals were 18 percent less than estimates for 2010. Reasons for this large difference include plant closures, a shift from coal to natural gas as a fuel source, and new powerplants using more water-effcient power generation and cooling-system technologies. On average, 15 gallons (gal) of water was used to produce 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in 2015, compared to almost 19 gallons per kilowatt-hour in 2010.
Consumptive use was reported for the first time since the 1995 report. Powerplants equipped with once-through cooling systems accounted for 96 percent of total thermoelectric-power withdrawals and 37 percent of net power generated. Consumptive use for once-through systems was just 1 percent of total once-through withdrawals. Plants with recirculating cooling systems withdrew much less water (4 percent of total thermoelectric-power withdrawals) and produced most (63 percent) of the power. Consumptive use for recirculating cooling systems was 57 percent of total recirculating withdrawals. Plants with recirculating cooling systems accounted for 67 percent of total thermoelectric-power consumptive use.
Data sources
Sources for thermoelectric-power withdrawals, cooling-system information, and net power generation included data collected directly from facilities, State permitting or regulatory agencies, the US Energy Information Administration, and linked heat and water budget models for powerplants in the United States. For the 2015 estimates, the linked heat and water budget models were run for the majority of thermoelectric powerplants in the United States (Diehl and others, 2013) to develop powerplant-specific estimates of withdrawals and consumptive use. These data were used either in whole or in part for this compilation.
Category history
- 1950: Included in Industrial
- 1955: Fuel-electric power subcategory in Industrial (data presented by watershed but not by State)
- 1960-1980: Fuel-electric power subcategory in Industrial
- 1985-1995: Thermoelectric power, subcategories by fuel type (fossil fuel, geothermal, nuclear)
- 2000 and later: Thermoelectric power, subcategories by cooling-system type (once-through, closed-loop/recirculatimg)
Graphic of category changes over time
Want to know more about thermoelectric power water use? Follow me to the Thermoelectric Water Use website!
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
Public Supply Water Use
Domestic Water Use
Irrigation Water Use
Industrial Water Use
Mining Water Use
Livestock Water Use
Aquaculture Water Use
- Overview
Water for thermoelectric power is used in the process of generating electricity with steam-driven turbine generators. Since 2000, thermoelectric-power withdrawals have been compiled by cooling-system type. Once-through cooling refers to cooling systems in which water is circulated through heat exchangers, and then returned to the source. Recirculating cooling refers to cooling systems in which water is circulated through heat exchangers, cooled using ponds or towers, and then recirculated. Subsequent water withdrawals for a recirculating system are used to replace water lost to evaporation, blowdown, drift, and leakage. Prior to 2000, thermoelectric-power withdrawals were compiled by fuel type (fossil-fuel, nuclear, and geothermal).
Thermoelectric power cooling water sources include fresh and saline water from both surface-water and groundwater sources. Reclaimed wastewater is a supplemental source of water for thermoelectric power, especially in areas where additional water sources are needed for plant operations.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Aerial photo of Beaver Valley Power Station in Pennsylvania, showing evaporation from the large cooling towers. 2015 Water Use
(source: Dieter, C.A., Maupin, M.A., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2018, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1441.)
Total withdrawals for thermoelectric power for 2015 were 133,000 Mgal/d, nearly 100 percent of which was withdrawn from surface-water sources, predominantly freshwater. Total withdrawals for thermoelectric power accounted for 41 percent of total water withdrawals, 34 percent of total freshwater withdrawals, and 48 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals for all uses.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Eastern States accounted for 84 percent of total thermoelectric-power withdrawals in the United States and 70 percent of the related net power generation. Hydroelectric-power generation accounts for about 6 percent of the United States total energy needs and is an important energy source in the Western United States.
Thermoelectric power withdrawals, top States, 2015
[percentages calculated from unrounded values]State Percentage of
total withdrawalsCumulative percentage
of total withdrawalsTexas 8% 8% Florida 7% 15% Illinois 6% 21% Michigan 6% 27% New York 6% 33% Estimated 2015 thermoelectric withdrawals were 18 percent less than estimates for 2010. Reasons for this large difference include plant closures, a shift from coal to natural gas as a fuel source, and new powerplants using more water-effcient power generation and cooling-system technologies. On average, 15 gallons (gal) of water was used to produce 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in 2015, compared to almost 19 gallons per kilowatt-hour in 2010.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Consumptive use was reported for the first time since the 1995 report. Powerplants equipped with once-through cooling systems accounted for 96 percent of total thermoelectric-power withdrawals and 37 percent of net power generated. Consumptive use for once-through systems was just 1 percent of total once-through withdrawals. Plants with recirculating cooling systems withdrew much less water (4 percent of total thermoelectric-power withdrawals) and produced most (63 percent) of the power. Consumptive use for recirculating cooling systems was 57 percent of total recirculating withdrawals. Plants with recirculating cooling systems accounted for 67 percent of total thermoelectric-power consumptive use.
Data sources
Sources for thermoelectric-power withdrawals, cooling-system information, and net power generation included data collected directly from facilities, State permitting or regulatory agencies, the US Energy Information Administration, and linked heat and water budget models for powerplants in the United States. For the 2015 estimates, the linked heat and water budget models were run for the majority of thermoelectric powerplants in the United States (Diehl and others, 2013) to develop powerplant-specific estimates of withdrawals and consumptive use. These data were used either in whole or in part for this compilation.
Category history
- 1950: Included in Industrial
- 1955: Fuel-electric power subcategory in Industrial (data presented by watershed but not by State)
- 1960-1980: Fuel-electric power subcategory in Industrial
- 1985-1995: Thermoelectric power, subcategories by fuel type (fossil fuel, geothermal, nuclear)
- 2000 and later: Thermoelectric power, subcategories by cooling-system type (once-through, closed-loop/recirculatimg)
Graphic of category changes over time
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Want to know more about thermoelectric power water use? Follow me to the Thermoelectric Water Use website!
- Science
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
The USGS produces national estimates of water withdrawal and consumptive water use. Withdrawal estimates are currently being finalized for a 20-year period from 2000 to 2020 for the three largest water use categories nationally (public supply, self-supplied thermoelectric power, and self-supplied crop irrigation). Six additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining...Public Supply Water Use
Public supply refers to water withdrawn by public and private water suppliers that provide water to at least 25 people or have a minimum of 15 connections. Public-supply water is delivered to users for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes. Part of the total is used for public services, such as public pools, parks, firefighting, water and wastewater treatment, and municipal buildings, and...Domestic Water Use
Domestic water use includes indoor and outdoor uses at residences, and includes uses such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, watering lawns and gardens, and maintaining pools. Domestic water use includes potable and non-potable water provided to households by a public water supplier (domestic deliveries) and self-supplied water use. Self-supplied...Irrigation Water Use
Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an irrigation system to sustain plant growth in agricultural and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, chemical application, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling, harvesting, dust suppression, and leaching salts from the root zone. Estimates of irrigation withdrawals...Industrial Water Use
Industrial withdrawals provide water for such purposes as fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting a product; incorporating water into a product; or for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility. Some industries that use large amounts of water produce such commodities as food, paper, chemicals, refined petroleum, or primary metals. Water for industrial use may...Mining Water Use
Mining water use is water used for the extraction of minerals that may be in the form of solids, such as coal, iron, sand, and gravel; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The category includes quarrying, milling of mined materials, injection of water for secondary oil recovery or for unconventional oil and gas recovery (such as hydraulic fracturing), and other...Livestock Water Use
Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs. Livestock includes dairy cows and heifers, beef cattle and calves, sheep and lambs, goats, hogs and pigs, horses, and poultry. Other livestock water uses include cooling of facilities for the animals and products, dairy sanitation and wash down of facilities, animal waste-disposal...Aquaculture Water Use
Aquaculture water use is water associated with raising organisms that live in water—such as finfish and shellfish—for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flowthrough raceways, and, to a lesser extent, cages, net pens, and closed-recirculation tanks. - Data
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