Converting to more renewable energy sources would lessen the demand for water from thermoelectric power sources in the Southeast, much of which has been gripped by drought in recent years.
About 40 billion gallons a day are withdrawn from the fresh water supply for use in thermoelectric plants, or about 65 percent of the region's water use, according to the Water For Watts report from the World Resources Institute.
Residential use, by comparison, totals 13 percent of the supply. Irrigation also accounts for 13 percent.
