Statement by Ken Kramer, Director, Lone Star Chapter, Sierra Club Prepared for Testimony before the Joint Hearing of Texas House Energy Resources and Natural Resources Committees at Today’s Interim Hearing at the State Capitol
“A report prepared for the Sierra Club earlier this year found that coal-fired power plants place a high demand on the state’s water supply compared to a number of alternative power generation technologies. As Texas tries to cope with recurring droughts it is incumbent on all of us – citizens and public officials alike – to take the steps necessary to become more energy efficient and reduce our demands for electric power generation while also continuing to move toward less water intense power sources such as wind power and distributed solar.
“In the meantime in our state and regional water planning we need to improve record keeping and reporting on power plant water use. The report done for the Sierra Club earlier this year found data on water use by steam-electric power plants in Texas to be incomplete and inconsistent. In a time when everyone is beginning to recognize the critical importance of the water issue in Texas we need a clear picture of how much water is being used to generate electric power in our state and how we might reduce that water use to meet other essential needs.”