Withdrawal is not consumption: ranking American power stations two ways
American generating stations report cooling water withdrawal and consumption separately on a mandatory federal return. Ranking the same facilities by each in turn produces two lists with nothing in common: not one of the five largest withdrawers is among the five largest consumers, and the largest withdrawer of all reports consuming none. Across every facility with both figures, 2.2 per cent of the water withdrawn is consumed — while the median facility consumes about two thirds of what it takes. Both statements are true, and using either as a proxy for the other is wrong by two orders of magnitude.
The same facilities, ranked two ways
Every facility below reported both quantities in the same year on the same federal return. The two lists are drawn from that one set.
| Largest withdrawers | Year | Withdrawn | Consumed | Share | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant | 2024 | 4,657 Mm³ | 0.0 Mm³ | 0.0% | Open |
| Comanche Peak | 2024 | 4,166 Mm³ | 24.3 Mm³ | 0.6% | Closed |
| Browns Ferry | 2024 | 3,967 Mm³ | 4.9 Mm³ | 0.1% | Other |
| McGuire | 2024 | 3,797 Mm³ | 0.0 Mm³ | 0.0% | Open |
| Oconee | 2024 | 3,697 Mm³ | 0.0 Mm³ | 0.0% | Open |
| Largest consumers | Year | Consumed | Withdrawn | Share | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland Cogeneration Venture | 2024 | 96.7 Mm³ | 106 Mm³ | 91.0% | Closed |
| Gary Works | 2024 | 92.1 Mm³ | 255 Mm³ | 36.1% | Open |
| Palo Verde | 2024 | 86.2 Mm³ | 86 Mm³ | 100.0% | Closed |
| Crystal River | 2024 | 84.5 Mm³ | 266 Mm³ | 31.7% | Closed |
| South Texas Project | 2024 | 73.9 Mm³ | 2,801 Mm³ | 2.6% | Closed |
No facility appears in both lists. The largest withdrawer takes 4,657 million cubic metres a year and reports consuming none of it; the largest consumer takes 106 and consumes 97.
Cooling design decides which number is large
A once-through plant draws river water, passes it through a condenser and returns it a few degrees warmer. A recirculating plant draws far less and evaporates most of what it draws.
| Cooling system | Facilities | Median share consumed |
|---|---|---|
| Closed | 531 | 80.7% |
| Open | 239 | 0.0% |
| Mix | 13 | 16.2% |
| Other | 12 | 6.0% |
| Dry/Hybrid | 8 | 92.2% |
This is why the aggregate and the median disagree so violently. 2.0 per cent of all the water withdrawn is consumed, because a small number of once-through plants dominate the total volume. The median facility consumes 58 per cent of what it takes, because most facilities recirculate. Neither number is wrong and neither describes the other.
Where the water comes from
| Water type | Facilities | Source | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh | 635 | Surface | 585 |
| Reclaimed | 62 | Ground | 123 |
| Brackish | 48 | Discharge | 62 |
| Saline | 38 | Other | 30 |
| Other | 19 | Mixed | 3 |
| Mixed | 1 |
69 facilities draw part of their cooling water from reclaimed sources — treated wastewater and process water rather than fresh supply. That is held as a separate quantity, because a plant drawing a large volume of reclaimed water places far less pressure on a catchment than one drawing the same volume from a river in the same place.
Data behind this
Every figure above is computed from these datasets at build time rather than written into the text. If the underlying record changes, this page changes with it.
Citation
Hydrionis (2026), Withdrawal is not consumption: ranking American power stations two ways, version 1.0. Retrieved from https://hydrionis.com/research/withdrawal-is-not-consumption-us-power-cooling/