But there s a hidden cost to our energy supply: water use. In fact, every time you turn on a light,

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But there s a hidden cost to our energy rolling stones tour supply: water use. In fact, every time you turn on a light, it s like turning on your faucet. It s been calculated that it takes 1.5 gallons of water to run a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours.
You can see it at the Gateway Generating Station, rolling stones tour a natural gas power plant in the northeast Bay Area. The plant looks complicated but making power is pretty simple. Step number one: burn natural gas. That produces a lot of heat.
You ve got 1,700-degree exhaust energy, or waste heat, says Steve Royall of PG E, who is giving me a tour through the maze of pipes and compartments. The heat hits pipes that are filled with water and the water is boiled off to create steam. That s step number two: make steam to turn a steam turbine, which is attached to a generator. It s the water that s making the power.
But water has another job in power plants. That steam, rolling stones tour even after it makes power, is still hot. So, most power plants rolling stones tour use water to cool it down. You ve got to have the ability to cool everything down so the cycle can continue and your equipment doesn t overheat, rolling stones tour says Royall. (Learn more about how power needs water in this illustration ).
Nuclear plants and coals plants use water the same way, in some cases, millions of gallons a year. In fact, nationwide, power plants need more freshwater than farms do, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study.
rolling stones tour Newer power plants reuse water, but a lot of it is lost to evaporation, which means it has to be replenished. car rentals in northern california Typically water has been the most abundant car rentals in northern california resource available, says Royall, but as water resources rolling stones tour become more valuable, it s extremely rolling stones tour important that we think about water use.
And then there s the climate which is changing. The climate models suggest that water availability will be more variable. car rentals in northern california So we ll have wetter years, we ll have drier years. We ll have a smaller snowpack, says Cooley. In some places, power plants are already feeling the effects of tightening water supplies.
California's nuclear plants rolling stones tour and some natural rolling stones tour gas plants guzzle huge volumes of ocean water for cooling, more than 2 trillion gallons of water in 2010. The water is released back into the ocean but at a much higher car rentals in northern california temperature. This method is being phased car rentals in northern california out in California due to concerns about the impact on marine life.
These power plants use water for cooling, recirculating it multiple rolling stones tour times. But once the cooling water gets hot, it s cooled back down through evaporation. In 2010, California power plants consumed more than 63 billion gallons of water this way.
Instead of using water for cooling, dry cooled plants use huge fans to blow air over the pipes of hot steam. This method uses very little car rentals in northern california water, but it uses more energy, creates higher emissions and is costlier to install.
We re seeing in areas where, if there is a drought, where plants are either forced to curtail their generation car rentals in northern california or turn off completely. And we re seeing plants that are not being built because of concern about the long-term availability of water supply, Cooley car rentals in northern california says.
You ll notice he said solar thermal, a technology car rentals in northern rolling stones tour california that s different than the solar panels you see on rooftops. The plant is a huge field of mirrors that are specially angled car rentals in northern california to focus the sun s heat at a tower, car rentals in northern california 400 feet tall.
That spins a steam turbine that makes electricity. Just like a natural gas plant, that steam has to be cooled back down, which is normally done with water. In the desert, it s not easy to find. You have to dig down, I want to say about 840 feet, says Desmond.
So, the Ivanpah car rentals in northern california rolling stones tour plant will use a new technology called dry cooling. Instead of using water, the plant uses massive fans to blow air over the pipes of hot steam. Air cooling allows us to reduce the water consumption by as much as 90%, says Desmond.
It also costs more to build. It can range between one and five percent more. Now, that may not seem like a lot but when you re competing and every penny counts, it s an important factor, Desmond car rentals in northern california says.
Three of the seven solar thermal plants planned in California won t use dry cooling. rolling stones tour But Desmond says, even though the state needs renewable power, he doesn t think agencies would approve that today. I think it s safe to say if somebody said we d like to use water cooling, that getting a permit for that would be challenging to say the least.
Lauren covers car rentals in northern california environment and science as a reporter with KQED's QUEST team. As part of her day job, she has scaled rolling stones tour Sierra Nevada peaks, hunted car rentals in northern california for newts in the rain, and desperately tried to get her sea legs - all in pursuit of good radio. Originally from the Bay Area, Lauren car rentals rolling stones tour in northern california attended Cornell University and has a background in environmental policy. Before joining rolling stones tour KQED, she cruised bunny slopes as a ski instructor in Tahoe, California and ate croissants in France as a travel car rentals in northern california rolling stones tour writer for Frommer's. Her work has appeared on Marketplace and NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. View all posts by Lauren Sommer
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