Thermoelectric Power Technology Choices Based on Water Availability

Thermoelectric Power Technology Choices Based on Water Availability National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed a prototype water-energy model to investigate issues surrounding the energy-water nexus as it relates to the effect of power generation plant design choices on water availability and the overall costs of supplying water for thermoelectric power generation. The model utilizes the database developed by a team of researchers with the Water Security Program at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL). The database includes water availability, cost, and water use for electric power, agriculture, municipal and industrial for 38 conterminous states representing various Interconnects within the U.S. Data on current and future water use for thermoelectric power are derived from NETL databases on water use by technology and projections from the Energy Information Administration’s National Energy Modeling System (NEMS). Current and forecasted water availability data from the World Resources Institute are used to develop three water availability scenarios. The prototype water-energy model is used to project the amount of water available for power generation, to project water demand for future power generation based on a NEMS forecast, to identify regions that experience potential water shortfalls, and to estimate the cost of meeting water demand where water shortfalls exist for each water availability scenario. A case study of the Brazos River Basin in Texas is used to illustrate a specific application and to highlight the capabilities of the prototype water-energy model.