Energy
Importing water from the Easter Sierra is by far the lowest energy source available for Los Angeles. A surplus of electricity is generated by the gravity flow through the Aqueducts and power drops.
The Aqueduct system generates a surplus of electricity from the flow of water moving down to Los Angeles. However, some of that energy is lost due to the process of extracting water from the wells and initially pumping it up to the Aqueduct. After accounting for energy loss, the Aqueduct generates approximately 2.1 million kWh per year for LADWP consumer. To put this in context, the 500,000 square foot Los Angeles Library uses approximately 7 million kWh each year – equivalent to the annual energy consumption of about 600 households (www.energy.gov).
[Data Sources: LADWP, Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Los Angeles County Public Works, Inyo Water, Mono Lake Committee, California Energy Commission, CA OSHPD, US Geological Survey, US Census, National Atlas, Energy Atlas, Los Angeles, Almanac, students in LA 401L & the Aqueduct Futures Project]
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Aqueduct Futures 