Reply To: Nuplex.

[Aeronaut]

Here’s a partial view from (American) Legion Magazine’s cover story “The Power of Power” a few months back. Producing 1MW from hydro-electric dams takes 20 gallons; from fossil fuels, 1,100 gallons; from nuclear, 2,400 gallons/MW. Their take was that water and electric policies can’t be treated separately due to falling levels of groundwater in places like the Ogalla acqifier, which supplies most of the MidWest’s drinking and irrigation water.

We have the inherent advantages of air cooling and no steam cycle, so our thoroughbred version shouldn’t contribute to heating surface water. As Eric said, dissipating this heat in the air is such a tiny percentage of insolation that it will have no real impact, except to reduce the CO2 levels.

Edit to add citations: Virginia Tech Water Resources Research Center. Study directed by Dr. Tamim Younos. http://wrri.nmsu.edu/niwr/program03/VA.pdf has contact information.