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Energy Recovery from Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States: A Case Study of the Energy-Water Nexus

Author

Listed:
  • Ashlynn S. Stillwell

    (Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1786, Austin, TX 78712, USA)

  • David C. Hoppock

    (Climate Change Policy Partnership, Duke University, Box 90335, Durham, NC 27708, USA)

  • Michael E. Webber

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C2200, Austin, TX 78712, USA)

Abstract

This manuscript uses data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to analyze the potential for energy recovery from wastewater treatment plants via anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization and biosolids incineration with electricity generation. These energy recovery strategies could help offset the electricity consumption of the wastewater sector and represent possible areas for sustainable energy policy implementation. We estimate that anaerobic digestion could save 628 to 4,940 million kWh annually in the United States. In Texas, anaerobic digestion could save 40.2 to 460 million kWh annually and biosolids incineration could save 51.9 to 1,030 million kWh annually.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashlynn S. Stillwell & David C. Hoppock & Michael E. Webber, 2010. "Energy Recovery from Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States: A Case Study of the Energy-Water Nexus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:2:y:2010:i:4:p:945-962:d:7791
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Plappally, A.K. & Lienhard V, J.H., 2012. "Energy requirements for water production, treatment, end use, reclamation, and disposal," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 4818-4848.
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    3. Radini, Serena & Marinelli, Enrico & Akyol, Çağrı & Eusebi, Anna Laura & Vasilaki, Vasileia & Mancini, Adriano & Frontoni, Emanuele & Bischetti, Gian Battista & Gandolfi, Claudio & Katsou, Evina & Fat, 2021. "Urban water-energy-food-climate nexus in integrated wastewater and reuse systems: Cyber-physical framework and innovations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
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    13. Florian Kretschmer & Georg Neugebauer & Gernot Stoeglehner & Thomas Ertl, 2018. "Participation as a Key Aspect for Establishing Wastewater as a Source of Renewable Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-17, November.
    14. Wakeel, Muhammad & Chen, Bin & Hayat, Tasawar & Alsaedi, Ahmed & Ahmad, Bashir, 2016. "Energy consumption for water use cycles in different countries: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 868-885.
    15. Strazzabosco, A. & Kenway, S.J. & Conrad, S.A. & Lant, P.A., 2021. "Renewable electricity generation in the Australian water industry: Lessons learned and challenges for the future," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    16. Joe Williams & Stefan Bouzarovski & Erik Swyngedouw, 2019. "The urban resource nexus: On the politics of relationality, water–energy infrastructure and the fallacy of integration," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 37(4), pages 652-669, June.
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    19. Moni Silva, Ana Paula & Barros, Regina Mambeli & Silva Lora, Electo Eduardo & Díaz Flórez, Carlos Andrés & Silva dos Santos, Ivan Felipe & Cassia Crispim, Adriele Maria de & Grillo Renó, Maria Luiza, 2023. "Characterization and evaluation of the life cycle of energy use from drying bed sludge," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PB).
    20. Ming Tang & Huchang Liao & Zhengjun Wan & Enrique Herrera-Viedma & Marc A. Rosen, 2018. "Ten Years of Sustainability (2009 to 2018): A Bibliometric Overview," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    21. Yan, Peng & Shi, Hong-Xin & Chen, You-Peng & Gao, Xu & Fang, Fang & Guo, Jin-Song, 2020. "Optimization of recovery and utilization pathway of chemical energy from wastewater pollutants by a net-zero energy wastewater treatment model," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    22. Elena Helerea & Marius D. Calin & Cristian Musuroi, 2023. "Water Energy Nexus and Energy Transition—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-31, February.
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