Overview of EIA Cooling System 

Thermoelectric Power Water Use Sector Partners Meetin

g

Vlad Dorjets, Form EIA-860 Project LeaderMarch 22, 2012 | Washington, DC

U.S. Energy Information Administration Independent Statistics & An
Overview

• Review of Applicable Industry Surveys and Recent 

Improvements

• Summary and Analysis of 2010 Data• Preview of 2011 Data• Survey Clearance
Electric Industry Surveys Electric Industry Surveys

EIA-860

Discontinued in 2006 “Electric Generator Report”(last data year 2005)

EIA-767

“Steam-Electric Plant 

Operations and Design Report”

Re-introduced in 2008 (for 2007 Split Between Two Existing Sur

EIA-923

“Power Plant Operations 

Report

”
EIA-860, “Electric Generator Report Electric Generator Report”

• Annual survey conducted Jan – Feb of each year fo

at December 31 of preceding year (available Aug / Sat December 31 of preceding year (available Aug / S

• Surveys all plants that are (1) connected to the grid

have a combined namep py late capacity of at least 1 M

• Captures data on static characteristics of operating 

pp p g roposed plants at a generator level

– Location, operator and owner details– Capacity (MW), operating status, prime movers– Possible energy source co Possible energy source, co-firing and energy switching capability firing and energy switching capability– Environmental equipment characteristics  Not collected for all pl

• Sets the “frame” for form EIA-923
Key Cooling System Data on Form EI

Key Cooling System Data on Form EI• Cooling system design type

– Once through (cooling pond fresh water saline water) Once through (cooling pond, fresh water, saline water)– Recirculating (cooling pond, forced draft, induced draft, natural dra– Dry cooling– Hybrid (dry with pond dry with forced draft dry with induced draft) Hybrid (dry with pond, dry with forced draft, dry with induced draft)

• Capacity (Flow Rate at 100 percent Load)• Relationshi

p gp with boilers and 

generators at 

plant

• Cooling water source (e.g. surface, ground, plant di• Coolin

g yp ( water type 

(e.

g fresh, , 

 brackish, wastewater

• Details on cooling ponds and towers
EIA-923, “Power Plant Operations Re

Power Plant Operations Re

• Composed of three inter-related surveys

– EIA-923M: Monthly survey of sample based on location energy s

Monthly survey of sample based on location, energy s

size (includes some of the country’s largest plants but not their cooperating data)

– EIA-923: Annual survey of those plants not included in EIA-923 sa

– EIA-923S: Annual survey of same sample as EIA-923M but reque

additional data (includes cooling system operating data)

• Captures plant operating data Captures plant operating data

– Generation (MWh)– Fuel cost, quality, inventories, and consumption– Byproducts disposition– Environmental equipment operating data– Water use at qualifying plants 
Key Cooling System Data on Form EI

Key Cooling System Data on Form EI• Hours in service• Chl i or ne use

• Average monthly flow rates

– Diversion– Withdrawal– Discharge– Consumption

• Cooling water temperatures

– Average monthly at intake– Monthly maximum at intake

– Average monthly at discharge– Monthly maximum at discharge
Recent Improvements to Cooling Syst

Data Collected on Surveys Data Collected on Surveys• Inclusion of nuclear units and non-fired HRSGs (inc

concentrated solar facilities) concentrated solar facilities)

• Inclusion of new system design types (e.g. dry, hybr

new 

q yp uestions on water typ

e

• Average cooling system flow rates and temperature

p py p er month rather than 

per 

year and 

per season

• Diversion data added to withdrawal, discharge, and 

consumption data previously collected on form EIA-
Recent Improvements to Operating Co

System Data Collected on Surveys

Dry Cooling

2009 (Traditional Fossil Fuel-Burning Units)

System Data Collected on Surveys

12

Wet Cooling - Open

Wet Cooling - Closed

D /W t H b id

780

740

Dry/W

et H

y

brid

Dry Cooling

1

2010 (Fossil Fuel Burning Units + Nuclear + Gas w/o Duc

39

Wet Cooling - Open

Wet Cooling - Closed

78

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 

Dry/Wet Hybrid

2 New System Classifications Added in 2010

Source: EIA, Form EIA-860
Cooling Systems at Nuclear Generator

Cooling Systems at Nuclear Generator• EIA has data on cooling systems at nuclear generat

1999.

• Data collected in 2010 was predominantly the same 

collected in 1999 

 allows for time series analysis

• 2010 data show the following:

– 61 plants use only surface water, 1 uses ground, 1 uses discharge 

both surface and ground both surface and ground

– 50 plants use fresh water, 4 use brackish, 9 use saline and 1 uses – 105 total systems including both individual systems and systems “

many plants have multiple systems many plants have multiple systems

– 50 one through systems at 35 plants, 37 cooling towers at 27 plan

ponds at 8 plants, and 6 “other” systems at 5 plants
Cooling Systems at Nuclear Generator

PLANT NAME OPEN

LOOP

COOLING 

PONDS

COOLING 

TOWERS

OTHER 

SYSTEMS

WATESOUR

LOOP PONDS TOWERS SYSTEMS SOUR

Arkansas Nuclear One 1 1 Surface Beaver Valley 2 Surface Braidwood Generation Station 2 Surface Browns Ferry 1 1 Surface Brunswick 2 S f ur aceByron Generating Station 2 Surface Callaway 1 Surface Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant 1 Surface Catawba 2 Surface Cli t P St ti Cli

nton 

Power St

ation 1 S f ur ace 

Columbia Generating Station 1 Surface Comanche Peak 1 Surface Cooper 1 Surface Crystal River 1 Surface Davis Besse 1 Surface Surface Diablo Canyon 2 Surface Donald C Cook 2 Surface Dresden Generating Station 2 2 2 Surface Duane Arnold Energy Center 1 1 Surface 

Ground 

Edwin I Hatch 2 Surface Fermi 1 Surface Fort Calhoun 1 Surface Grand Gulf 2 Ground 
Cooling Systems at Nuclear Generator

PLANT NAME OPEN

LOOP

COOLING 

PONDS

COOLING 

TOWERS

OTHER 

SYSTEMS

WATESOUR

LOOP PONDS TOWERS SYSTEMS SOUR

H B Robinson 2 Surface Harris 1 Surface Indian Point 2 Surface James A Fitzpatrick 1 Surface Joseph M Farley 2 S f ur ace Kewaunee 1 Surface LaSalle Generating Station 2 Surface Limerick 2 Surface McGuire 2 Surface Mill t s one

2 S f ur ace 

Monticello 1 Surface Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station 1 1 Surface North Anna 2 Surface Oconee 3 Surface 

Oyster Creek Oyster Creek 1 Surface Surface Palisades 1 Surface Palo Verde 1 DischarPeach Bottom 2 2 Surface Perry 1 Surface Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station 1 Surface Surface Point Beach Nuclear Plant 1 Surface PPL Susquehanna 2 Surface Prairie Island 1 1 Surface PSEG Hope Creek 1 Surface 
Cooling Systems at Nuclear Generator

PLANT NAME OPEN

LOOP

COOLING 

PONDS

COOLING 

TOWERS

OTHER 

SYSTEMS

WATESOUR

LOOP PONDS TOWERS SYSTEMS SOUR

PSEG Salem Generating Station 2 Surface Quad Cities Generating Station 2 Surface R E Ginna Nuclear Power Plant 1 Surface River Bend 1 Surface San O f no re 2 S f ur aceSeabrook 1 Surface Sequoyah 1 1 Surface South Texas Project 1 Surface St Lucie 1 Surface Surry

2 S f ur ace 

Three Mile Island 1 Surface V C Summer 1 Surface Vermont Yankee 1 1 Surface Vogtle 2 Surface Waterford 3 Waterford

3 1 Surface Surface 

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant 1 1 Surface Wolf Creek Generating Station 1 Surface 
Operating Years of Existing Cooling Systems

6070

In 2002 and 2003, 118 towers - associated with 22.8 GW – were installed

4050

In 1958, 49 once through systems were installed but associated with only 8.2 GW Between 1972 and 1975, 87 once thro

systems – associated with 51.8 GW - i t ll d

3040 install

e

d

1020

0

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 

Once Through Recirculating (Pond) Recirculating (Tower)

Source: EIA, Form EIA-860
2010 Summer Capacity (MW) by Cooling System Typ

2008 Capacity by Cooling Design

2010 Capacity By Coolin

Other

1%

Dry Cooling

1%

Other

0%

Once Through

49%

Recirculating 

(Tower)

41%

Onc

Recirculating (Tower)

47%

Note: Due to cooling systems being assoc

Recirculating 

(Pond)

9%

Recirculating (Pond)

8%

Source: EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2011

Note: Due to cooling systems being assocgenerators, capacity may be included in m
Average (Non-Weighted) Flow Rates b

Cooling System Type Cooling System Type

Cooling System Type(data in cubic ft / sec)

Plants Diversion Withdrawal Discharge 

Once Through (Saline Water) 88 75.54 421.55 439.73 Once Through (Cooling Ponds) 37 96.80 474.80 443.49 Once Through (Fresh Water) 257 50.54 336.37 334.34 Recirculating (Cooling Ponds) 60 164.42 367.39 235.20 

Recirculating (Forced Draft Tower) 193 10.30 18.17 11.69 

Recirculating (Induced Draft Tower) Recirculating (Induced Draft Tower) 222 3 18 . 11 93 . 8 94 . Recirculating (Natural Draft Tower) 52 42.88 47.61 36.85 

Hybrid System 1 N/A 3.40 1.08 
Preview of 2011 Data Preview of 2011 Data

• 16 operating cooling systems were added in 2011 (4 

previously unreported) previously unreported)

• 2011 will include 12 planned or under construction s

associated with concentrated solar facilities
OMB Survey Clearance Overview OMB Survey Clearance Overview

• All EIA surveys must be periodically reviewed and a

by U.S. Office of Management and Budget by U.S. Office of Management and Budget

– Clearance process results in EIA being able to compel compliance– Authority granted pursuant to Section 13(b), 15 U.S.C. §772(b), of 

Energy Administration Act of 1974 and Public Law 93 Energy Administration Act of 1974 and Public Law 93-275

• Electric industry surveys are typically reviewed ever

years

– Electricity surveys currently expire December 31, 2013

• EIA currently soliciting comments on electric industr

including forms EI

A-860 and EI

A-923
Stakeholder Feedback on Clearance Stakeholder Feedback on Clearance

• Addition of new questions 

– Need to reflect development and evolution of industry Need to reflect development and evolution of industry

• Modifications to existing questions

– Clarification of ambiguous language in surveys Clarification of ambiguous language in surveys– Inclusion of additional options available to respondents (e.g. coolin

types, energy sources, etc.)

• Deletion of obsolete questions
Qualities of Good Survey Questions Qualities of Good Survey Questions

• Clearly definable 

– Need to avoid ambiguity and to ensure that all respondents provid

Need to avoid ambiguity and to ensure that all respondents provid

• Readily available

– EIA cannot require respondents to collect or measure new data th

EIA cannot require respondents to collect or measure new data th

already have

• Justifiable

– All new questions entail additional burden on the respondent as w

on EIA to collect and review incoming data so the need for the new must justify the cost
For more information (electricity data) For more information (electricity data)

General Data-Related Inquiries | infoelectric@eia.govEIA-860 Data | www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/eia860.h

Project Leader: Vlad Dorjets | vlad.dorjets@eia.gov

EIA

-923 Data | 923 Data | www eia gov/cneaf/electricity/page/eia906 

www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/eia906

_

Project Leader: Channele Wirman | channele.wirman@eia.gov

EIA Surve

y | swww.eia.

g y ov/surve

y/

Electric Power Annual Report | www.eia.gov/electricity/annuElectric Power Monthly Report | www.eia.gov/ /

electricity/mo
For more information (general) For more information (general)

U.S. Energy Information Administration home page | www.eShort-Term Energy Outlook | www.eia.gov/steoAnnual Energy Outlook | www.eia.gov/aeoInternational Energy Outlook | www.eia.gov/ieoMonthly Energy Review | Monthly Energy Review | www eia gov/mer www.eia.gov/mer

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