scholarly journals The Water-Energy-Environment Nexus in the Great Lakes Region: The Case for Integrated Resource Planning

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent C Tidwell ◽  
Victoria Pebbles
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Electric Power ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Electric Power Industry ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Environmental Policies ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Great Lakes Basin

<p>Water is a critical element of electric power production in the U.S., particularly in the Great Lakes Basin region. Thermoelectric power generation accounts for the majority of all water withdrawals in the Basin, in large part due to the comparatively heavy concentrations of coal and nuclear power generation that utilize open-loop cooling. This paper explores how different energy generation portfolios could affect the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin. The suite of power generation scenarios analyzed reflects a range of potential outcomes resulting from the implementation of key national and regional energy and environmental policies for the electric power industry. These policies include U.S. EPA’s pending power plant cooling water intake standards, state renewable energy portfolio standards,  possible climate change legislation, and the 2005 Great Lakes regional water resource agreement (Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact of 2005; Public Law 110–342).  Five scenarios were analyzed, resulting in different levels and intensities of total water use (withdrawal and consumption) in hydrologically-sensitive watersheds. These results confirm the close relationship between water and energy in the Great Lakes, and point to the need to take into account water resource impacts in designing future energy and environmental policies.</p>

scholarly journals Adaptation of water resource systems to an uncertain future

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1869-1884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire L. Walsh ◽  
Stephen Blenkinsop ◽  
Hayley J. Fowler ◽  
Aidan Burton ◽  
Richard J. Dawson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Integrated Modelling ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Median Frequency ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Adaptation Options

Abstract. Globally, water resources management faces significant challenges from changing climate and growing populations. At local scales, the information provided by climate models is insufficient to support the water sector in making future adaptation decisions. Furthermore, projections of change in local water resources are wrought with uncertainties surrounding natural variability, future greenhouse gas emissions, model structure, population growth, and water consumption habits. To analyse the magnitude of these uncertainties, and their implications for local-scale water resource planning, we present a top-down approach for testing climate change adaptation options using probabilistic climate scenarios and demand projections. An integrated modelling framework is developed which implements a new, gridded spatial weather generator, coupled with a rainfall-runoff model and water resource management simulation model. We use this to provide projections of the number of days and associated uncertainty that will require implementation of demand saving measures such as hose pipe bans and drought orders. Results, which are demonstrated for the Thames Basin, UK, indicate existing water supplies are sensitive to a changing climate and an increasing population, and that the frequency of severe demand saving measures are projected to increase. Considering both climate projections and population growth, the median number of drought order occurrences may increase 5-fold by the 2050s. The effectiveness of a range of demand management and supply options have been tested and shown to provide significant benefits in terms of reducing the number of demand saving days. A decrease in per capita demand of 3.75 % reduces the median frequency of drought order measures by 50 % by the 2020s. We found that increased supply arising from various adaptation options may compensate for increasingly variable flows; however, without reductions in overall demand for water resources such options will be insufficient on their own to adapt to uncertainties in the projected changes in climate and population. For example, a 30 % reduction in overall demand by 2050 has a greater impact on reducing the frequency of drought orders than any of the individual or combinations of supply options; hence, a portfolio of measures is required.

scholarly journals Assessment of impact of climate change on water resources: a long term analysis of the Great Lakes of North America

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. McBean ◽  
H. Motiee
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
North America ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Historical Trends ◽  
Global Circulation Models ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In the threshold of the appearance of global warming from theory to reality, extensive research has focused on predicting the impact of potential climate change on water resources using results from Global Circulation Models (GCMs). This research carries this further by statistical analyses of long term meteorological and hydrological data. Seventy years of historical trends in precipitation, temperature, and streamflows in the Great Lakes of North America are developed using long term regression analyses and Mann-Kendall statistics. The results generated by the two statistical procedures are in agreement and demonstrate that many of these variables are experiencing statistically significant increases over a seven-decade period. The trend lines of streamflows in the three rivers of St. Clair, Niagara and St. Lawrence, and precipitation levels over four of the five Great Lakes, show statistically significant increases in flows and precipitation. Further, precipitation rates as predicted using fitted regression lines are compared with scenarios from GCMs and demonstrate similar forecast predictions for Lake Superior. Trend projections from historical data are higher than GCM predictions for Lakes Michigan/Huron. Significant variability in predictions, as developed from alternative GCMs, is noted. Given the general agreement as derived from very different procedures, predictions extrapolated from historical trends and from GCMs, there is evidence that hydrologic changes particularly for the precipitation in the Great Lakes Basin may be demonstrating influences arising from global warming and climate change.

A stochastic optimization approach for integrated urban water resource planning

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (7) ◽  
pp. 1634-1641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Huang ◽  
J. Chen ◽  
S. Zeng ◽  
F. Sun ◽  
X. Dong
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Stochastic Optimization ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Optimization Approach ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Reclaimed Wastewater ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Water Resource Planning

Urban water is facing the challenges of both scarcity and water quality deterioration. Consideration of nonconventional water resources has increasingly become essential over the last decade in urban water resource planning. In addition, rapid urbanization and economic development has led to an increasing uncertain water demand and fragile water infrastructures. Planning of urban water resources is thus in need of not only an integrated consideration of both conventional and nonconventional urban water resources including reclaimed wastewater and harvested rainwater, but also the ability to design under gross future uncertainties for better reliability. This paper developed an integrated nonlinear stochastic optimization model for urban water resource evaluation and planning in order to optimize urban water flows. It accounted for not only water quantity but also water quality from different sources and for different uses with different costs. The model successfully applied to a case study in Beijing, which is facing a significant water shortage. The results reveal how various urban water resources could be cost-effectively allocated by different planning alternatives and how their reliabilities would change.

Securing the Future of Ground Water Resources in the Great Lakes Basin

Ground Water ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Galloway ◽  
Ralph Pentland
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ground Water ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
The Future

Addressing Urban Water Resource Scarcity in China from Water Resource Planning Experiences of Singapore

2012 ◽  
Vol 433-440 ◽  
pp. 1213-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Yao Peng ◽  
Jie Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Polluted Water ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Resource Planning ◽  
Sustainable Planning ◽  
Value Of Water

The world wide water crisis we are facing nowadays is no longer how to acquire new water resource, but rather how to manage the available water resource. The water resource management practices in China are still under the guidance following conventional mindset and compliances. It was yet brought up to people’s attention that water resource planning is a crucial element of urban planning, not to mention the effort that should be spent in investigating and exploring the potential value of water to economy, esthetics and social development. This paper introduced the practices of Singapore government in managing its local water resources, i.e. recovery of the polluted water environment in its early years, integrated planning of catchment and reservoirs for stormwater storage, acquiring new resource to supplement and replacing conventional water resource, establishing public outreach network for water demand management and water resource protection, adopting water sensitive urban design to rediscover the added value of water resource to urban development, etc. By reviewing the mechanism of Singapore’s practices on sustainable planning, the existing urban water resources shortage situation in China would be addressed and suggestion for urban water resource sustainable planning and use would also be given.

Science as a fundamental framework for shaping policy discussions regarding the use of groundwater in the State of Michigan: a case study

Water Policy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan D. Steinman ◽  
James R. Nicholas ◽  
Paul W. Seelbach ◽  
Jon W. Allan ◽  
Frank Ruswick
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Water Withdrawal ◽  
Advisory Council ◽  
Great Lakes Basin

The availability and use of freshwater is a growing concern in the United States and around the globe. Despite apparently abundant water resources, several conflicts over water use have emerged in the Great Lakes region and the State of Michigan. These conflicts resulted in state legislation that both addresses water withdrawal from the Great Lakes Basin and requires the State of Michigan to begin a process to address the sustainability of water resources. The former resulted in Michigan's support of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Compact, whereas the latter resulted in the formation of a Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council. This paper focuses primarily on the Council, describing its formation, and the products it generated. In particular, we focus on the development of indicators of sustainable use of water, the creation of a water withdrawal assessment process to determine if a proposed withdrawal will create an adverse resource impact in the state, and how the lessons learned in Michigan may be applied to other units of government addressing similar issues. Attention is also given to the Compact, as it provides important context for the Council's formation.

Perspectives of the electric power industry amid the transforming global power generation markets

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 703-714 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Makarov ◽  
T. A. Mitrova ◽  
F. V. Veselov ◽  
A. A. Galkina ◽  
V. A. Kulagin
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Electric Power ◽  
Electric Power Industry ◽  
Power Industry ◽  
Global Power
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