Typical Range of Water Withdrawals and Consumption for Thermoelectric Power Plants

Nuclear power plants withdraw and consume the largest amounts of water, followed by power plants that use fossil fuels (coal or oil), biomass, or waste. Natural gas-fired power plants tend to use the least amount of water.

Source: Electric Power Research Institute’s “Water & Sustainability (Volume 3): U.S. Water Consumption for Power Production-The Next Half Century.”