Water and energy

[Old Rocks]

U.S. Drought Monitor

U.S. Drought Monitor U.S. Drought Portal

Given the amount of water that coal and nuclear generation requier, how much longer can we afford to generate electricity in the exceptional drought areas with either? Solar and wind require very little water, and are little affected by heat or drought.

 

[Mr. H.]

Can solar and wind appreciably supplement or considerably replace those amounts of electricity generation? What would be the effect on end-user rates?

 

[Political Junky]

Can solar and wind appreciably supplement or considerably replace those amounts of electricity generation? What would be the effect on end-user rates?

People are already saving on utility bills by having solar panels installed.

 

[Mr. H.]

Can solar and wind appreciably supplement or considerably replace those amounts of electricity generation? What would be the effect on end-user rates?

People are already saving on utility bills by having solar panels installed.

Thank you, Old Rocks.

 

[Old Rocks]

Can solar and wind appreciably supplement or considerably replace those amounts of electricity generation? What would be the effect on end-user rates?

Oncor Proposes Battery Storage for Texas Electricity Grid

Texas’s transmission and distribution utility, Oncor, which manages the largest power line network in Texas, has proposed an infrastructure upgrade plan to invest 5.2 billion dollars in a network of large storage batteries that will be connected to the power grid. The plan, which calls for the purchase and installation of up to 5 gigawatts’ worth of energy storage, is proposed by Oncor to be implemented in 2018.

How Can Batteries Enhance the Power Grid?

Power demand in Texas is uneven. Because most Texans power down when they go to sleep at night, demand drops considerably, and power plants can sit idle. During the day, demand increases so greatly that its potential to outstrip capacity–resulting in the occasional power outage–is an ongoing threat. Power generation is uneven, as well, as Texas gets a growing amount of its energy from alternative sources, like solar and wind power. It’s clean and green, but unfortunately these sources can be intermittent. Sometimes the sun shines and the wind blows, and sometimes, not so much.

With their ability to store a surplus of energy and then feed it back into the grid when necessary, utility-scale batteries can solve the problems of both intermittent supply and cyclical demand. Power plants can operate on a more smoothed-out schedule of 24 hours, instead of cranking frantically in the daytime and foundering listlessly at night. Solar arrays and wind farms, such as Duke Power’s Notrees wind farm, with its 36-megawatt battery facility, can store power generated at peak weather to help ease demand on the grid even in non-ideal conditions, such as those hot summer days with nary a breeze to alleviate a jump in air-conditioning use.

One of the main supporting factors behind Oncor’s push to get batteries into the grid is that the cost for the batteries is forecast to be lower by 2018 than previously projected. Electric car manufacturer Tesla, with whom Oncor is in talks, will be producing industrial-sized batteries at its new “Gigafactory” battery production facility in Nebraska, scheduled to open in 2017. A study conducted by The Brattle Group estimates that the lower outlay of costs, along with the ability to bring in revenue by renting storage space on the batteries and a reduction in power prices, would likely result in a savings for power customers of 34 cents per month off the average bill. Consumers would benefit both from a more consistent and reliable source of energy and a small reduction in their utility expenses.

Oncor is responsible for transmitting power to most North Texas including the Dallas and Fort Worth areas.

In another article, Oncor actually stated that even with the investment, the actual rate for the user would be slightly lower, because of the ability to store power that was previously wasted.

 

[waltky]

The whole world is drying up...

The people of Cape Town are running out of water—and they’re not alone
13 Mar.`18 - Day Zero: that’s the ominous label officials in Cape Town have bestowed on the day that water will run out. A three year drought in the region drained reservoirs faster than expected. They were full at the start of 2014, but estimates from the end of January 2018 show that water levels are now at 26 percent of capacity. When the level drops to 13.5 percent, officials plan to shut off pipes and start controlling water distribution to residents. Cape Town’s residents will receive a daily ration of 25 liters of water—the average American, by contrast, uses fifteen times as much per day. A black market is sure to emerge, but the city’s poorest, who have long been bearing the brunt of this crisis, will probably not be able to afford the exorbitant prices.

When Day Zero will arrive is anyone’s guess. It’s been pushed back several times already, as water conservation efforts have proved successful, according to local news reports—it might not even hit until 2019 if usage remains low. But while conservation efforts may stave off the inevitable, there’s one thing city planners and water management can't predict: when it will rain again. Until the drought is over, Cape Town will remain on the brink of an environmental and public health disaster. But the South African city is just one of many localities across the globe to face extreme water shortages in recent years—and one of many more to come. The World Resources Institute recently crunched data on water consumption and projected climate patterns, and predicts that by 2040, most regions in the world will be facing some level of water stress, and 33 countries could face “extremely high” stress. Cape Town is one of the most dire cases we’re seeing today. But across the globe, water troubles are already straining the lives of millions of people.

Cape Town's water reservoirs are drying up.​

Bolivia

Disappearing Andean glaciers, increasingly rare rainfalls in the wet season, and a protracted drought dried up most of capital city La Paz’s drinking water in 2017. Mining operations have also had a hand in depleting the scarce resource. The predictions of what could happen in Cape Town have already come true in this city of almost two and a half million. Military-guarded trucks deliver meager rations of water, while contamination and protests wreak havoc on the daily lives of citizens. Conservation, rationing, and limiting industrial usage can only go so far if the rains don’t come soon.

Morocco

Ancient water ways in the Moroccan desert used gravity to transport ground water without the need for pumps.​

Blame watermelons for last year’s protests in drought-stricken Morocco. The North African nation’s agricultural exports—which mostly cater to out-of-season demands in the European market—make up a significant percentage of its GDP. Farmers had been overusing water resources during what may have been the country’s worst drought in 30 years to continue growing impractical, water-intensive crops, like watermelon. In October 2017, the government shut off water supplies in the rural town of Zagora in response to shortages. It’s a town where residents report that clean drinking water is hard to come by, even when the taps are running, and they quickly took to the streets in protest. While the town got an official apology from the Prime Minister, the government hasn’t done much to mitigate the problem or encourage conservation as the drought lingers on.

Bangladesh

A satellite image of the Sundarbans reveals complex waterways draining into the Bay of Bengal.​

Three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered in water, but most of it is undrinkable. In the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forests located in coastal Bangladesh, that paradox defines the daily struggles of villagers who have to search further and further for clean drinking water. As climate change intensifies, melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica causes sea water to rise. In the low-lying Sundarbans, that means salty sea water encroaches on groundwater and reservoirs, rendering it useless for human consumption. Mangrove trees can filter the salt as they take in water, but human kidneys have no such adaptation. You’ll die of dehydration if you drink too much salt water. The lack of freshwater drives climate refugees towards Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. They may not get much relief in their new home—the city’s infrastructure can’t keep up with its ever-growing population, and millions of slum dwellers lack access to clean water.

United States

Patches of green agriculture pop up along the Colorado River's path through the desert.​

To many people living in the U.S., clean drinking water seems so ubiquitous that one might not think twice about using two to five gallons a minute in the shower, or dumping hundreds of gallons onto a lush, green lawn in the summer. Conservation policies during droughts have helped, but oftentimes, water usage shoots up as soon as the drought conditions lessen, even though it would be wiser to save up the rainy day fund for the next severe drought cycle. But the reality is that U.S. water access is far from equal. Climate change and extended droughts are slowly drying up the Colorado River, putting 30 million people in seven states in a precarious position. And in some low-income, rural communities across the nation, it doesn’t matter if climate change turns off the taps—there were never any to begin with. Unincorporated townships are often denied access to the water and sewer infrastructure of larger cities or towns. The community of Sandbranch, for example, sits right in the shadows of the Dallas’s skyscrapers. But residents haven’t had clean drinking water since gravel mining contamination in the 1950s. On Native American reservations, some 24,000 households don’t have running water, either. But being connected to a municipal supply doesn’t always ensure clean drinking water. Residents of Flint, Michigan have been drinking bottled water since 2015, when elevated lead levels were detected in residential tap water—despite city officials' insistence that the water was safe. Just this week, a new round of testing found traces of lead in water. Poor infrastructure, like climate change, will continue to exacerbate America’s water woes.

The people of Cape Town are running out of water—and they’re not alone

 

[waltky]

World water shortages could affect 5 billion by 2050...

World water shortages could affect 5 billion by 2050: U.N. report
March 19, 2018 -- About half the world's population could be affected by severe water shortages in the next 30 years due to a number of factors, including climate change, a United Nations report said Monday.

In its World Water Development Report, U.N. researchers said shortages could directly impact 5 billion people by 2050, when the world population will be between 9 to 10 billion. The study warns that stresses on rivers, lakes, reservoirs, aquifers and other water sources could lead to shortages -- which could then result in conflict, environmental damage and threats to civilization.

Industrialization, population growth, climate change and the growth of developing countries are straining the water supply, the research says. "The global water cycle is intensifying due to climate change, with wetter regions generally becoming wetter and drier regions becoming even drier," the world body said. "Other global changes (e.g., urbanization, deforestation, intensification of agriculture) add to these challenges."

A child drinks water from a tap at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip refugee camp. A U.N. report Monday warned that growing stresses on the planet could lead to severe water shortages by 2050.​

The report advocates nature-based solutions that rely on soil, trees and prevention of erosion, and notes global demand for water increases by 1 percent every year. Noting the 2014-5 drought in Sao Paolo, Brazil, which was linked to Amazon deforestation, the U.N. research urges planners to consider a wider geographic area when anticipating water supply. It also says trees and other vegetation help to recycle and distribute water, contrary to the views of many farmers.

The report encourages sustainable "green solutions" to receive serious consideration, including payments to communities embracing ecosystem improvements. The 134-page report was released Monday in coordination with the start of the World Water Forum in drought-affected Brazil, and the observance of World Water Day on Tuesday.

World water shortages could affect 5 billion by 2050: U.N. report