New Analysis Reveals Massive Water Use by Texas Power Plants
May 6, 20263 hours
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Gas and coal plants guzzle billions of gallons of water every year despite low-water alternatives.
A new Sierra Club analysis on thermal plant water usage reveals that Texas gas, coal, and nuclear plants consume roughly 100 billion gallons of water every year, while renewables and battery storage use barely any water at all. By compiling and analyzing 10 years of data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Sierra Club reveals that Texas gas plant operations consumed 56 billion gallons in 2024, coal plant operations consumed 34 billion, and nuclear plant operations consumed 26 billion.
These findings and additional analysis are presented in the Sierra Club’s report, Watts Wasting Texas Water, available to the public today. Among other key points, the report shows that:
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Water rights appropriated to all Texas coal plants reveal that these facilities can store an additional 98 billion gallons of water in massive reservoirs and are allowed to consume 116 billion gallons every year from our rivers, creeks, and aquifers.
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While data centers in Texas directly use 8 billion gallons of water a year, it is the energy generators needed to power them that use far more water, suggesting an additional focus for local data center fights.
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The water consumed by Texas coal plants would be enough water for 1 million homes every year, which represents 10% of Texas households and as many homes as a city twice the size of Austin. It amounts to filling up 52,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—or 44 Dallas Cowboys stadiums—every year.
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Renewable energy supplied 30% of the state’s total electricity needs in 2024 but uses minimal water to operate (EIA doesn’t even track it).
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Coal power provided just 12% of the state’s power needs, but its water consumption represented 31% of electricity-related statewide water consumption.
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Gas power plants supplied 51% of the state’s electricity and made up 48% of Texas’ total electricity-related water consumption.
In response, the report authors issued the following statements:
“Texans everywhere are worried about water, yet some of our decision-makers seem to think we can spend our way out of a crisis” said Lindsay Mader, report author, Central Texas resident, and Sierra Club press secretary. “It’s mind-boggling that we might be drinking treated wastewater or funding billion-dollar desalination plants while these dirty energy generators keep guzzling precious H2O despite renewables powering our grid while barely using a drop. The future of Texas will require innovative solutions, and our energy system is an area with potentially massive savings.”
“Wealthy utilities and power plants in Texas have long profited from the significant water rights our state government gave to them for free, but it’s past time to stop giving coal and gas everything they want,” said Cyrus Reed, conservation and legislative director for the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. “In a state facing a substantial water crisis, these operations should seriously consider transitioning to renewables and battery storage, which use barely any water. The moment has arrived for our Legislature and state agencies to chart this path and stop prioritizing coal, gas, and data centers and allow underutilized water rights to serve the needs of people and the environment.”
“The data tells a startling story,” said Noah Ver Beek, lead analyst for the project and a Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign team member. “Our dashboard shows the reality that so much water is being consumed by Texas coal, gas, and nuclear plants – roughly 100 billion gallons every year – despite the fact that affordable, clean, low-water options exist.”
“Texas streams, rivers, and lakes are in desperate need of more water, and water-intensive power plants could play an incredibly powerful role,” said Alex Ortiz, an attorney specializing in water in Texas and executive committee member of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. “Declining water availability in our waterways exposes the public to more concentrated pollution and can seriously harm the creatures and plants that make Texas special. Power plant owners and our state government should dedicate more water to environmental protection, supporting wildlife, recreation, and our bay and estuary systems for generations to come.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
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