Views on the water intensity of energy supplies Water in a World of 7 Billion Carey King Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy The University of Texas at Austin May 10, 2012

Carey King, PhD WW7B 2 May 10, 2012 Takeaways Marginal energy resource life-cycles have increased ability to affect or be affected by –Water quantity –Water quality Emotional ties to water clash with mostly economic energy issues Economic importance of energy can affect water priorities

Water for Electricity

Carey King, PhD WW7B 4 May 10, 2012 US hydropower exemplifies water limiting an energy resource EIA Annual Energy Review Clean Water Act (1972)

Carey King, PhD WW7B 5 May 10, 2012 Many factors lead to this pattern: policy, climate, competing water uses DOE (2006). Energy Demands on Water Resources. Report to Congress. Clean Water Act (1972) US Hydropower

Carey King, PhD WW7B 6 May 10, 2012 Power plant water consumption varies by cooling type Macknick, et al. (2011). NREL/TP-6A Cooling Towers 1,000 (gal/MWh) Once- through Pond Dry Hybrid PV, Wind, CSP Stirling 200

Carey King, PhD WW7B 7 May 10, 2012 Power plant water withdrawal varies by 100X Macknick, et al. (2011). NREL/TP-6A ,000 (gal/MWh) Once- through Pond 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 Cooling Towers

Carey King, PhD WW7B 8 May 10, 2012 Withdrawal vs. Consumption: When is each one important? Thermoelectric (or energy) “use” of water –Withdrawal ~ 48% of US total (USGS, 2004) –Consumption ~ 3% of US total (USGS, 1998) Avoid using the term “use” to describe water –Can’t tell if “using” a LOT or a LITTLE? A power plant withdrawing water from a river/lake versus a dedicated cooling reservoir has different... –Operational risks –Environmental impacts

Carey King, PhD WW7B 9 May 10, 2012 Wet Cooling for Concentrating Solar Power (trough) NREL (Kutcher, C.)

Carey King, PhD WW7B 10 May 10, 2012 NREL (Kutcher, C.) Dry Cooling for Concentrating Solar Power (trough)

Carey King, PhD WW7B 11 May 10, 2012 Regulations on water effluent temperatures can limit power plant generation Data from EPA.

Water for Energy: Transportation Fuels Dominguez-Faus et al. Environ. Sci. & Technol (9),

Carey King, PhD WW7B 13 May 10, 2012 Water Consumption Intensity from Near Zero to > 100 gal/mile King & Webber (2008). Env. Sci. & Tech. 42 (21),

Carey King, PhD WW7B 14 May 10, 2012 “High Diversity Scenario for 2030”: ~ 20% conventional petroleum (4.1 trillion miles) Biofuels Unconv. fossil Nonliquids King, Webber, Duncan (2010) Energy Policy, 38 (2),

Carey King, PhD WW7B 15 May 10, 2012 Will water consumption in 2030 be for fuels non-existent before 2000? Similar questions arose in 1970s [2] Irrigated Ethanol – E85 Corn Grain & Stover Non-irrigated Ethanol – E85 Cellulosic Irrigated Ethanol – E85 Cellulosic Non-irrigated Ethanol – E85 Corn Grain Coal to Liquid (Diesel) Oil Shale - Gasoline Electricity via PHEV – US Grid Irrigated Ethanol – E85 Corn Grain Petroleum Gasoline Biomass to liquids Irrigated Soy Biodiesel Irrigated Ethanol – E10 Corn Grain [graph] King, Webber, and Duncan (2010) Energy Policy, 38 (2), [2] Harte and Gasseir (1978) Science, 199, ~ 10% US Water Consumption

Carey King, PhD WW7B 16 May 10, 2012 Senate Energy and Natural Resources bill seeks to inform and improve data Energy and Water Integration Act 2011 (S. 1343) –Calls for National Academies Study of water energy interactions e.g. “… include a lifecycle assessment of the quantity of water withdrawn and consumed in the production of transportation fuels …” –i.e. calculate as gal H 2 O/mile (King & Webber (2008) Env. Sci. and Tech.) –Information must be used wisely in policy –What relates to consumers may not to a river basin

Carey King, PhD WW7B 17 May 10, 2012 now EIA (ft 3 /s) Data are sometimes not easily converted into information System Boundary Diversion Natural evaporation Return Flow Steam- Electric Plant Cooling Reservoir Cool water Warm water Forced evaporation Withdrawal Precipitation Discharge Aquifer EIA (ft 3 /s) TCEQ (ac-ft) TCEQ (ac-ft) TWDB Intake Cooling Towers

Carey King, PhD WW7B 18 May 10, 2012 Averyt, K., J. Fisher, A. Huber-Lee, A. Lewis, J. Macknick, N. Madden, J. Rogers, and S. Tellinghuisen Freshwater use by U.S. power plants: Electricity’s thirst for a precious resource. A report of the Energy and Water in a Warming World initiative. Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists. November.

Marginal fuels need more water: Net energy perspective

Carey King, PhD WW7B 20 May 10, 2012 Energy Price and EROI are inversely related King and Hall, “Relating financial and energy return on investment.” Sustainability, 3(10) 2011, ; doi: /su /su US oil and gas EROI EROI = E output /E input Oil price ($2005/BBL)

Carey King, PhD WW7B 21 May 10, 2012 Marginal fuels: have lower net energy U.S. Corn Ethanol, soy biodiesel Oil sands Brazil cane ethanol (0.4 US$/L) Oil shale Conventional oil E output / E input = Energy ROI Fuel cost ($2005/BBL) King and Hall (2011), Sustainability.

Carey King, PhD WW7B 22 May 10, 2012 Marginal fuels: have higher water consumption (or must recycle) U.S. Corn Ethanol, soy biodiesel Brazil cane ethanol (0.4 US$/L) Oil shale E output / E input = Energy ROI Water Consumption (L H 2 O/km) (Green and Blue) Conventional oil Oil sands King & Webber (2008), Env. Sci. & Tech.

Carey King, PhD WW7B 23 May 10, 2012 Marginal fuels: lower net energy & higher water consumption U.S. Corn Ethanol, soy biodiesel Oil sands Brazil cane ethanol (0.4 US$/L) Oil shale Conventional oil E output / E input = Energy ROI Fuel cost ($2005/BBL) King and Hall (2011), Sustainability. King & Webber (2008), Env. Sci. & Tech. Water Consumption (L H 2 O/km) (Green and Blue)

Is energy ‘special’ when it comes to priority for water access? Example: Texas 2011 Drought

Carey King, PhD WW7B 25 May 10, in Texas was driest hottest year on modern record John Nielson-Gammon Summer Average Temperature Summer Total Rainfall Years of Texas “drought of record” ( )

Carey King, PhD WW7B 26 May 10, 2012 Do Texas water rights suspensions during 2011 drought show ‘priority’? “Surface water in Texas is owned by the state and held in trust for the citizens of the state.” (TCEQ) Texas water rights are (mostly) prior appropriation –“first in time, first in right” 2011/2012: “In order to protect public health and welfare, water rights with municipal uses or for power generation have not been suspended.” (TCEQ) – –

Carey King, PhD WW7B 27 May 10, 2012 Are there long-term impacts from not suspending power generation water rights? Is this suspension a market failure? –ERCOT deregulated market ensures equal access to transmission for all participants –Should all power plants have equal access to water? Water is a strategic asset (brownfield vs. greenfield) Dry cooling technologies cost more and have higher parasitic losses Does Texas have a duty to … –Provide water to power plants during drought? –Ensure water rights priority system plays out according to priority date?

WEBBER ENERGY GROUP C ENTER FOR I NTERNATIONAL E NERGY AND E NVIRONMENTAL P OLICY Carey King web: blog: