How Switching from Coal to Natural Gas and Renewables Saves Water in the USA
In Washington D.C., a study has revealed that transitioning from coal to natural gas in the US electricity sector is significantly reducing water usage. This change is helping to conserve water and alleviate water scarcity. For each megawatt of electricity generated using natural gas instead of coal, water withdrawal from rivers and groundwater decreases by 10,500 gallons, and water consumption for cooling and other operations drops by 260 gallons.
Professor Avner Vengosh from Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment highlighted that while the focus has been on climate and air quality benefits, the shift to natural gas and renewable energy sources like solar and wind is saving billions of gallons of water. Despite increased water use from fracking and shale gas production, these savings are substantial.
Andrew Kondash, a postdoctoral researcher at Duke, led the study and noted that if the trend continues, by 2030, about 483 billion cubic meters of water could be saved annually. If all coal-fired plants switch to natural gas, annual water savings could reach 12,250 billion gallons, which is 260% of the current US industrial water use.
Natural gas power plants use less water for cooling compared to coal plants, contributing to these savings. In 2018, natural gas accounted for 35.1% of US electricity, surpassing coal at 27.4%, with wind and solar contributing 6.5% and 2.3%, respectively.
Doubts Revealed
Coal -: Coal is a black or brownish-black rock that is burned to produce energy. It is used in power plants to generate electricity but can cause pollution and uses a lot of water.
Natural Gas -: Natural gas is a fossil fuel like coal, but it is cleaner and produces less pollution. It is used to generate electricity and is found underground.
Renewables -: Renewables are energy sources that can be replenished naturally, like solar and wind power. They are cleaner and better for the environment than fossil fuels.
Megawatt -: A megawatt is a unit of power. It is equal to one million watts and is used to measure the amount of electricity produced or used.
Water Withdrawal -: Water withdrawal refers to the total amount of water taken from a source, like a river or lake, for use in processes like cooling power plants.
Water Consumption -: Water consumption is the amount of water that is used up and not returned to its source. It is important to reduce this to save water resources.
Cubic Meters -: A cubic meter is a unit of volume. It is used to measure large quantities of water, like how much water can be saved by using cleaner energy sources.
2018 -: 2018 is a year in the past. It is mentioned to show how much electricity was generated by natural gas compared to coal at that time.