Future Projections of Water Demands for Energy

The power sector is the largest user of freshwater in the U.S. The current portfolio of electricity generating technologies in the U.S. has highly regionalized and technology-specific requirements for water. Water availability differs widely throughout the nation. As a result, assessments of water impacts from the power sector must have a high geographic resolution and consider regional differences. The U.S. electricity portfolio is likely to evolve in coming years, shaped by various policy and economic drivers on both the national and regional level, which will impact power sector water demands. Analysis of future energy scenarios that incorporate technology options and constraints as well as different policies can provide useful insights about likely changes to the technology mix and the nation's water resources. More specifically, both national- and regional-level water consumption and withdrawal implications. Utilizing the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model, a national electricity-sector capacity expansion model with high geographical resolution, we explore the potential development of the U.S. electric sector over the next two decades and examine the associated impacts on water resources