Reports & Studies
Natural Gas Development Saves Texas Water
Water used in energy development amounts to a little more than one percent of all water used in Texas. Water used for fracking specifically amounts to only about 0.5 percent.
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Table of Contents
Key Findings (Pg. 1)
Power Generation (Pg. 2)
What About Fracking? (Pg. 3)
Water Use in Perspective (Pg. 4)
Less Water Use in the Future (Pg. 6)
Complementing Renewables (Pg. 8)
Conclusion (Pg. 9)
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Key Findings
Natural gas-fired electricity generation saves far more water than what’s used during production, including water used for hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking.’ When compared to other major sources of baseload power, natural gas uses between 60 and 70 percent less water.
Water used in energy development amounts to a little more than one percent of all water used in Texas. Water used for fracking specifically amounts to only about 0.5 percent.
Water use for energy development in Texas is expected to decline significantly -- more than 16 billion gallons per year -- in the coming decades.
Natural gas provides a critical and flexible backstop for intermittent renewable power that’s increasingly being added to the Texas electric grid. Since renewables are also non-water-intensive, this further helps reduce water consumption in Texas.
