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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Updated Assessment of Water-Energy Issues for Nuclear Power

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1989658· OSTI ID:1989658
There is significant ongoing need for understanding the water-energy nexus issues in the U.S. commercial nuclear energy industry. The water-energy nexus is a dynamic, ever evolving conundrum involving technological changes, regulatory concerns, economic constraints, environmental issues, and political attributes. This report provides a brief update on the water-energy nexus challenges facing the U.S. commercial industry since the 2010 report titled “Cooling Water Issues and Opportunities at the U.S. Nuclear Power Plants”. Since the 2010 report, nuclear power has experienced significant curtailments due to drought, intake and discharge temperatures, and flooding. These events will be exacerbated by global climate and resource competition. Water and energy regulation changes have accelerated and pose a particular risk to the commercial nuclear fleet compliance. The definition of Water of the United States continues to be litigated as water rights are being evaluated for fair and equitable allocation. The ability to maintain compliance with state and federal water regulations offers a substantial risk to the commercial nuclear industry, and therefore understanding the energy-water nexus is necessary for maintaining success of the current fleet.
Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC07-05ID14517
OSTI ID:
1989658
Report Number(s):
INL/RPT--23-73058-Rev000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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