Open AccessHistorical values of water and carbon intensity of global electricity production
Author(s) -
Rebecca Peer,
Christopher M. Chini
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
environmental research: infrastructure and sustainability
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2634-4505
DOI - 10.1088/2634-4505/ac0a94
Subject(s) - electricity , electricity generation , hydroelectricity , greenhouse gas , environmental science , water energy nexus , production (economics) , natural resource economics , fossil fuel , carbon footprint , water use , environmental protection , waste management , economics , power (physics) , engineering , ecology , physics , macroeconomics , quantum mechanics , nexus (standard) , electrical engineering , biology , embedded system
The global production of electricity is reliant upon the availability of water resources for the cooling of thermoelectric power plants and in the production of hydroelectricity. Additionally, much of the current global electricity production requires the combustion of fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases and create a carbon footprint of electricity production. In this study, we investigate the historical values of global electricity production through country and regional accounting and comparison of carbon and water footprints from 1990–2018. Here we show water footprints of electricity production rising 1.6% year over year from 143 km 3 1990 to 220 km 3 in 2018. Additionally, the carbon footprint of electricity production increased 2.2% each year with nearly 14 × 10 12 kg CO 2 e emitted in 2018. Our analysis highlights regional comparisons of carbon emissions versus water intensity for a sustainable electricity transition across the globe, recommending the need to account for both resources in policy and technological decisions.