We must act quickly to slow down climate change and rethink the way we use our energy resources. From advocating for offshore wind and increasing solar, NJ Environmental Federation is working with the Christie Administration to ensure a safe, clean and sustainable energy future.

Currently, the U.S. relies on a large amount of fossil fuel and nuclear energy production methods, which accelerate climate change while contaminating our water resources with ionizing radiation, heavy metals and chemical pollution.

In addition, these established energy production methods rely on a steady and reliable supply of water. In fact, the Department of Energy (DOE) confirms energy production is the second highest water user in the country, exceeded only by agriculture. As climate change worsens and droughts becomes more common, our existing power plants may not be able to secure enough water to support energy production. This means we must identify energy sources that are not dependent upon consistent, reliable water supplies. In fact, many of our current energy sources will no longer be available as water grows scarcer.

Solutions for a New Energy Economy

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that we must decrease our greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 in order to avoid the worst effects of global warming. We can reach this goal by developing a new energy economy and the policies to support this move. We must:

• dramatically reduce our current reliance on fossil fuel based energy sources
• make the switch renewable energy sources for electricity, such as wind and solar
• increase efficiency and use of alternative fuel sources in the transportation sector and increase use of public transportation
• institute immediate energy efficiency and conservation measures, which reap benefits quickly and economically.

The Problems with Coal

Approximately half of U.S. electricity is generated by coal burning power plants. A typical 500 megawatt coal power plant uses more than 2 billion gallons of water each year. This water is used to wash coal, cool the power plant, drive power-generating turbines and clean emissions. In total, there are more than 500 coal-burning power plants located throughout the United States, which rely on more than 1 trillion gallons of water every year.

The Problems with Nuclear

Nuclear power plants, which supply approximately 20% of U.S. electricity, use billions of gallons of water every day to absorb excess heat, maintain safe operating temperatures and drive steam-powered turbines. As environmental water levels drop due to climate change, drought or increased competing demand, many nuclear reactors may not be able to harvest sufficient quantities of water. 24 of the United States' 104 active nuclear reactors are sited in regions experiencing severe drought. Already, the Tennessee Valley Authority was forced to temporarily shut down an Alabama-based nuclear plant due to water restrictions during summer 2007.

The Problems with Ethanol

One gallon of corn-based ethanol, which relies heavily on irrigation and chemical fertilizers, requires more than 1,000 gallons of water to produce and dramatically increases water pollution via runoff.

For More Information

Contact us at njcwa@cleanwater.org