Warm water from power plants can also be used for irrigation to extend the growing season in frost-prone areas and cycled through aquaculture pens to speed the growth of commercially valuable fish and shellfish. For example, waste hot water is used to cultivate oysters in aquaculture lagoons in Japan and in New York's Long Island Sound and to cultivate catfish and redfish in Texas.

Heated water could also be used to heat nearby buildings and greenhouses, desalinate ocean water, and run under sidewalks to melt snow. However, because of dangers from from aur pollution and release of radioactivity, most coal-burning and nuclear electric power plants and heat-producing factories are usually not located near to aquaculture operations, buildings, and industries to make thermal enrichement economically feasible

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