THE WATER-ENERGY NEXUS-ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND WATER CONSIDERATIONS

• Jurisdiction: United States

Water-Energy Nexus: Acquisition, Use, and Disposal of Water for Energy and Mineral Development
(Sep 2012)
CHAPTER 8A
THE WATER-ENERGY NEXUS-ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND WATER CONSIDERATIONS
Randy Rhodes
Xcel Energy, Inc.
Denver, Colorado

RANDY RHODES has been employed by Xcel Energy and its predecessor companies for 28 years. Primary Responsibilities involve managing company water resources as required for reliable electrical generation. Xcel Energy has numerous water rights to provide water supplies to its generation facilities in all major river basins of Colorado, and in the panhandle and west Texas. Challenges include acquiring reliable water resources at the lowest achievable cost to ensure reliable electrical generation in an increasingly competitive market, and dealing with declining ground water levels in Texas. About one-half of Xcel Energy's water supply in Colorado is derived from contractual supplies, which is an...