Environment & Energy

Clean energy can help to ease the water crisis
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In the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS) – our most conservative scenario which only takes into account energy transition measures that have been implemented or are under development – energy’s thirst for water continues to rise and reaches nearly 400 bcm by 2030. This is mostly driven by a growth in withdrawals for cooling nuclear power plants and to irrigate bioenergy feedstocks. Some of this increase is offset by the shift from fossil fuels to solar PV and wind in the power sector.

Energy uses less water in a net zero emissions pathway

In the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE) – our most ambitious scenario – water withdrawals by the energy sector decline by almost 20 bcm by 2030. The biggest reductions happen in the power sector, where withdrawals fall nearly 15% as coal-fired power generation is quickly replaced by solar PV and wind. Greater energy efficiency also plays an important role in reducing the volume of water needed to meet global energy demand.

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Thermal power plants often require water for cooling. France’s Chooz nuclear power plant was closed for around two months when a severe drought hit in 2020, and several other plants had to reduce output in 2022 due to lack of cooling water.

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Three Mile Island seeks 73M gallons from Susquehanna for data center as PA drought looms
by Matthew Duckworth Fri, April 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Updated Fri, April 24, 2026 at 11:32 AM

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — The site of the "worst commercial nuclear incident in United States history" is asking to pull around 73 million gallons of water from the Susquehanna River to feed new proposed Microsoft data centers, as several counties reportedly continue to experience abnormal-to-severe drought levels.

Constellation Energy has asked the Susquehanna River Basin Commission for permission to pull 73.2 million gallons of water daily from the river ahead of the expected 2027 restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center, formerly known as Three Mile Island.

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“Repowering a dangerous, resource-intensive nuclear plant in the middle of a drought all to feed unwanted AI data centers is a recipe for disaster. Constellation and Microsoft’s plan to take tens of millions of gallons of water out of the water cycle is a clear example of corporations prioritizing profits over people and our environment," Beauchamp claimed.

His claim echoed through the room on the heels of the river experiencing low-flow conditions on April 14, which triggered stop orders for water-fracking-related activities across three Pennsylvania counties.

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