Here in New Mexico, we understand better than most how important our water sources are. From our agricultural industry to the basic needs that come from living in a desert, we are distinctly aware of the strain that warming temperatures and longer droughts will have on our water supply. With these conditions in mind, we can expect to see increased evaporation of our surface water, less snowpack to replenish our supplies, and decreased water flow. All of these consequences are expected to feed into each other and continue straining our resources, which is especially bad news as our growing population will require a higher water demand.
Luckily, renewable energy is here to save the day.
Here in the United States, almost half of the water withdrawn from our water table is used for thermoelectric power plants – meaning nuclear reactors and plants run by fossil fuels. According to the Scientific American,
“To provide electricity for an average home, a nuclear power plant requires 615 gallons of cooling water a day, a coal-fired plant requires 199 gallons per day, and a natural gas power plant requires 114 gallons per day. The stunning volume is a quiet thief that threatens the U.S. water supply.” (Scientific American, 2018)
Solar and wind power, on the flip side, only use 0 to 1 gallon of water per megawatt of energy generated!
As the impacts of climate change become less theoretical and more of a reality, we need to begin focusing on solutions that better meet our future demands. By reducing the amount of water needed for our energy generation, more water will be available for food production and human consumption, which will be needed as our population grows. A diversified energy grid powered by clean, renewable energy will also better meet our similarly increasing energy demands.
In addition to the renewable industry’s ability to help us withstand upcoming extreme weather events, it also goes a step further and helps us accommodate and adapt to future needs and create the opportunities we need to thrive.
Sources:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045802/pdf
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/renewable-energy-saves-water-and-creates-jobs/
https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/energy-and-water-use
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/how-we-use-water
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-new-mexico-state-fact-sheet.pdf
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/08/18/loudest-alarm-bell-yet-unprecedented-water-shortage-declaration-for-us-west/