Due to their close proximity to these discharges and relatively high consumption of fish, some minority and low-income communities have greater exposure to, and are, therefore, at greater risk from, pollutants in steam electric power plant discharges. Many of these pollutants, once in the environment, remain there for years. The pollutants discharged by this industry can cause severe health and environmental problems in the form of cancer and non-cancer risks in humans, lowered IQ among children, and deformities and reproductive harm in fish and wildlife. The discharges include toxic and bioaccumulative pollutants (selenium, mercury, arsenic, nickel), halogen compounds (bromide, chloride, iodide), nutrients, and total dissolved solids which can cause health and environmental harm through surface water and fish tissue contamination. Steam electric power plants discharge large volumes of wastewater containing pollutants into waters of the United States. Health and Environmental Impacts of Steam Electric Power Plant Discharges For precise definitions of coverage, see the applicability sections in 40 CFR Part 423. Note: the NAICS group listings are provided as a guide and do not define the coverage of the Steam Electric regulations. Oil and gas wells in the United States.221113 – Nuclear Electric Power Generation Some low-temperature resources can be harnessed to generateĮlectricity using binary cycle technology. Low-temperature and co-produced geothermal resources are typically found at temperatures Low-Temperature and Co-Produced Resources Generating capacity in the United States.

or about half of the current installed electric power Geological Survey estimates that potentially 500,000 megawatts of EGS resource That are otherwise not economical due to lack of water, location, or rock type. To generate electricity: enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and low-temperature orĮGS provide geothermal power by tapping into the Earth's deep geothermal resources Whole process, so there are little or no air emissions.Ĭurrently, two types of geothermal resources can be used in binary cycle power plants The water and the working fluid are kept separated during the Heat exchanger and used to turn a turbine. Binary cycle plants use the heat from the hot water to boil a working fluid, usuallyĪn organic compound with a low boiling point. The steam is then separated from the water and used to power a turbine/generator.Īny leftover water and condensed steam are injected back into the reservoir, makingīinary cycle power plants operate on water at lower temperatures of about 225-360 ☏ (107-182 ☌). This very hot water flows up through wells in the ground under its own pressure.Īs it flows upward, the pressure decreases and some of the hot water boils into steam. With temperatures greater than 360 ☏ (182 ☌). Since Yellowstone is protected from development, the only dry steam plants in theįlash steam power plants are the most common and use geothermal reservoirs of water

Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, where there's a well-known geyser called Old.

There are only two known underground resources of steam in the United States:

The steam is pipedĭirectly from underground wells to the power plant where it is directed into a turbine/generator There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash steam, and binaryĭry steam power plants draw from underground resources of steam. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity. Flash steam power plant with bottoming binary unit in Nevada.

Steam power