In various discussions around energy consumption, we often overlook the fact that most production methods involve fresh water, itself a dwindling resource.
A professor and student at Virginia Tech are researching the water efficiency of some of the common methods of generating power. They have analyzed 11 types of energy sources, including coal, fuel ethanol, natural gas and oil, and also five different power generating methods. These methods include hydroelectric, fossil fuel thermoelectric and nuclear.
The research found that the most water efficient energy sources are natural gas and synthetic fuels produced by coal gasification. The least water efficient energy sources are fuel ethanol and biodiesel.
Pic courtesy Grendelkhan on www.flickr.com
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