Characterizing cooling water source and usage patterns across US thermoelectric power plants: a comprehensive assessment of self-reported cooling water data

This study characterizes cooling water sources (by type and quality) and cooling water usage rates in thermoelectric power plants across the US based on data reported by power plant operators to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) for the year 2014. Geospatial distributions of water usage by specific cooling technologies and water sources confirm trends towards wet recirculating cooling systems, dry cooling and reclaimed water usage in the power sector, especially in more water constrained locations. Results include a database of water withdrawal and water consumption rates for 672 unique power plants organized by fuel, prime mover and cooling system classification, expanding available data records by an order of magnitude from previous analyses. While median calculated rates are generally comparable to values reported in the literature for most cooling technologies, results suggest that water usage rates at power plants with unique locations or operating conditions might not be accurately characterized by averages, especially in the case of once-through cooled facilities. Despite previous criticisms of EIA cooling water data, improvements in form instructions, reporting methods, and cooling system definitions have markedly improved the quality and usability of cooling water data records in recent years.