Climate change could cut global electricity output by disrupting water resources

• 8 years ago (2016-01-05)
• David Flin

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A study published by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) said that climate change could lead to significant declines in electricity production in coming decades as water resources are disrupted. The study said that hydropower and thermal power plants, which depend on water to generate electricity, and which together generate around 98 per cent of the world’s electricity production, will be at risk. This would be as a result of shifts in water temperatures causing a shift in the availability of fresh water, and that this could result in reductions in electricity production capacity between 2040 and 2069.

Riahi said that companies should invest in new technologies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on electricity generation, including switching from fresh water cooling systems to air cooling systems.”