Water scarcity challenges developers of new power plants

Water scarcity challenges developers of new power plants
Water shortages in California have resulted in policies that discourage water usage for cooling purposes in power plants, as developers of new plants are rapidly discovering. "It's just not possible anymore in California, and increasingly anywhere, to find unlimited water for the old water-intensive cooling systems," said Peter Gleick, president of the think tank Pacific Institute. "If you want to build a big central power plant, whether it's oil, gas or nuclear, you can't take the water for granted." The New York Times (free registration)