Historical values of water and carbon intensity of global electricity production

Abstract

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 km3 1990 to 220 km3 in 2018. Additionally, the carbon footprint of electricity production increased 2.2% each year with nearly 14 × 1012 kg CO2e 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.