Cutting Electricity Use in Water Production: Big Opportunities

Oct. 14, 2013
Cutting electricity use in water production is a huge opportunity.The EPA estimates that 3 to 4 percent of national annual electricity consumption (or approximately 56 billion kilowatts), or $4 billion, is used to provide drinking water and wastewater services. Listen to this podcast to learn more.

The EPA estimates that 3 to 4 percent of national annual electricity consumption (or approximately 56 billion kilowatts), or $4 billion, is used to provide drinking water and wastewater services. Albert Cho, vice president for strategy and business development at Xylem, says this can account for 30 percent of the energy used by a city. Much of that energy is wasted, he says. One solution is adding equipment that can change how air is blown into the water to provide aeration, cutting by 50 percent the amount of energy used. Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com interviews Cho.

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About the Author

Lisa Cohn | Contributing Editor

I focus on the West Coast and Midwest. Email me at [email protected]

I’ve been writing about energy for more than 20 years, and my stories have appeared in EnergyBiz, SNL Financial, Mother Earth News, Natural Home Magazine, Horizon Air Magazine, Oregon Business, Open Spaces, the Portland Tribune, The Oregonian, Renewable Energy World, Windpower Monthly and other publications. I’m also a former stringer for the Platts/McGraw-Hill energy publications. I began my career covering energy and environment for The Cape Cod Times, where Elisa Wood also was a reporter. I’ve received numerous writing awards from national, regional and local organizations, including Pacific Northwest Writers Association, Willamette Writers, Associated Oregon Industries, and the Voice of Youth Advocates. I first became interested in energy as a student at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, where I helped design and build a solar house.

Twitter: @LisaECohn

Linkedin: LisaEllenCohn

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