Description
This report examines life cycle water consumption for various geothermal technologies to better understand factors that affect water consumption across the life cycle (e.g., power plant cooling, belowground fluid losses) and to assess the potential water challenges that future geothermal power generation projects may face. Previous reports in this series quantified the life cycle freshwater requirements of geothermal power-generating systems, explored operational and environmental concerns related to the geochemical composition of geothermal fluids, and assessed future water demand by geothermal power plants according to growth projections for the industry. This report seeks to extend those analyses by including EGS flash, both as part of the life cycle analysis and water resource assessment. A regional water resource assessment based upon the life cycle results is also presented. Finally, the legal framework of water with respect to geothermal resources in the states with active geothermal development is also analyzed.
Resources
| Name | Format | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report.pdf | Geothermal Water Use: Life Cycle water Consumption, Water Resource Assessment and Water Policy Framework | Open resource | |
| Table 1 - GETEM EGS Scenarios.xlsx | XLS | A summary of parameters used as input to GETEM for EGS Scenarios | Open resource |
| Table 2 - GETEM Hydrothermal Scenarios.xlsx | XLS | A summary of parameters used as input to GETEM for Hydrothermal Scenarios | Open resource |
| Table 3 - Life Cycle Water Consumption Summary for EGS Scenarios.xlsx | XLS | Life cycle water consumption result summary for EGS scenarios | Open resource |
| Table 4 - Life Cycle Water Consumption Summary for Hydrothermal Scenarios.xlsx | XLS | Life cycle water consumption result summary for hydrothermal scenarios | Open resource |
| Table 5 - Regional Water Resource Assessment Scenario Parameters.xlsx | XLS | Scenario parameters for the regional water resource assessment, including both EGS and hydrothermal scenarios | Open resource |
| Table 6 - Categories of Saline Water.xlsx | XLS | EPA Groundwater classifications for saline water | Open resource |
| Table 7 - State-Level Geothermal Water Management Definitions Laws and Principles.xlsx | XLS | A summary of state geothermal laws and definitions in states with active geothermal development | Open resource |