As California Faces Record Drought Levels, Wind Energy Provides A Vital Service
In 2014, wind energy saved 2.5 billion gallons of water in California by displacing water consumption at the state's fossil-fired power plants, playing a valuable role in alleviating the state's record drought. Wind energy's annual water savings work out to around 65 gallons per person in the state - or the equivalent of 20 billion bottles of water, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).According to AWEA, one of wind energy's most overlooked benefits is that it requires virtually no water to produce electricity while almost all other electricity sources evaporate tremendous amounts of water.
In California - where the state is combating record drought levels - Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed an executive order to reduce household water consumption by 25%, from about 140 gallons per day per household to 105 gallons. Wind energy's water savings are, therefore, equivalent to what would be saved by nearly one week's worth of the required reductions for a typical household.
In 2008, U.S. thermal power plants withdrew 22 trillion to 62 trillion gallons of freshwater from rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers and consumed 1 trillion to 2 trillion gallons. By displacing generation from these conventional power plants, U.S. wind energy currently saves around 35 billion gallons of water per year - the equivalent of 120 gallons per person or 285 billion bottles of water.
Comments (0)
This post does not have any comments. Be the first to leave a comment below.
Featured Product
Sun Xtender® Deep Cycle AGM Batteries
Sun Xtender® Deep Cycle AGM Batteries for renewable energy storage are manufactured in the USA by Concorde Battery Corporation and are built to the same demanding standards crucial to supporting the aircraft industry. To facilitate maximum conductivity & charge acceptance Sun Xtender® batteries are constructed with copper alloy corrosion free terminals & robust intercell connections. Endurance and optimal float life are achieved through plates thicker than the industry standard. Sun Xtender® Batteries' AGM maintenance free design is an ideal solution for off grid and grid tied systems.
