Cooling ponds, lakes, and reservoirs: a positive factor in power plant siting

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Aware; (United States)

OSTI ID:7092148

Metz, W C

A specific area of power plant siting now concerns thermal effluents. Some regulations governing these discharges are reviewed. With the EPA now directed to weigh costs and benefits in determining whether a particular level of effluent reduction is economically achievable and reasonable as required by the FWPCA, cooling ponds, lakes, and reservoirs should be reevaluated as alternate methods of power plant cooling. The incremental economic and social benefits that can accrue when cooling ponds, lakes, and reservoirs are made multipurpose are discussed. When a public or private electric utility selects a plant cooling arrangement it bases the judgment on engineering economics, development costs, and environmental and social considerations. Some location characteristics that can influence cooling system choice are: water availability or appropriation problems, topographic features, meteorological influences, and land availability. It has been estimated that the power plants built before the year 2000 will be sited adjacent to water sources in the following proportions: 40 percent, oceans; 30 percent, Great Lakes; 20 percent, artificial cooling ponds; and 10 percent, rivers and lakes. Recreation is not the only incremental benefit which can occur from cooling pond construction, others under certain circumstances and for a variety of reasons can take the forefront or coexist. Where power plant size, location, engineering costs, area needs and environmental prerequisites dictate other functions (flood control and stream flow augmentation, fish and wildlife use, hydroelectric generation, aquaculture, municipal and industrial water-supply, irrigation, primary and secondary home development area, and/or scenic area) then they too can be accommodated. (MCW)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh
• OSTI ID: 7092148
• Journal Information: Aware; (United States), Journal Name: Aware; (United States) Vol. 79; ISSN AWAEB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
296001* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power Generation-- (-1989)
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AVAILABILITY
COMMUNITIES
CONSUMPTION RATES
CONTROL
COOLING
COOLING PONDS
COOLING SYSTEMS
COOLING TOWERS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
HEAT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAKES
LEGISLATION
ONCE-THROUGH COOLING SYSTEMS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PONDS
POWER PLANTS
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
SITE SELECTION
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMAL EFFLUENTS
THERMAL POLLUTION
WASTE HEAT
WASTES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WATER RESERVOIRS