Price for water

Much water is required for a nuclear or coal (fossil fuel) power plant. The World Resources Institute estimates that nearly two out of every three gallons of fresh water drawn from the U.S. Southwest is used to cool power plants.

Nuclear plants, of course, are the biggest water hogs. Given the water scarcity scenarios looming globally, does it makes sense to build hundreds of new costly nuclear plants, each with a life of more than 50 years? If water shortages will mean shutting them down?

Power from the coal-fired plant is cheap because the water it uses is not accounted as also its emissions. Should the water factor be accounted for? Should the plants be charged for the water they use? More important, instead of building more and more plants, why not go for decentralised generation that uses the resources available locally? Even if it's poo power!

The Guardian reports that the German town of Lünen, will become the first town in the world to have its own dedicated biogas network. The 6.8 MW power plant at the heart of the network with take cow and horse manure, as well as other agricultural waste and spoiled crops from surrounding farms, and process it all into biogas, which will be used to generate both heat and electricity.

When completed it will generate enough power to supply about 26,000 homes. About 30-40% of the town's heat and electricity will be provided through the biogas network.