WASHINGTON, July 18 Two U.S. Department of Energy laboratories are joining forces in an effort to reduce electric producers' demands for fresh water.
The National Energy Technology Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratory signed an agreement designed to advance the research, development, demonstration and commercial deployment of technologies that reduce fresh water demands related to fossil energy generation.
Energy Department officials said thermoelectric power plants using coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear sources require significant amounts of water for cooling and are a major competitor for water resources. A 2000 study found electric power plants were the second largest U.S. user of fresh water, withdrawing 136 billion gallons of fresh water daily. Only agriculture used more water.
The new agreement called for the two laboratories to, among other things, develop technologies that significantly reduce fresh water withdrawal and consumption and ensure energy-water planners use improved decision-making tools.
Energy Department officials said the goal is to achieve a 50 percent reduction in power plant fresh water usage by 2015.
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