summitsystems.co.uk/adiabatic-coolers-vs-cooling-towers/

There are many solutions to this problem. Evaporative cooling is just the cheapest. But it's only cheap because we don't charge these water users market rates for water. If they're threatening drinking water or agricultural water we should just charge them for water usage the same as you pay for drinking water at home. That's fundamentally what they're taking when they drain the rivers dry. That way they compete directly on the water market instead of bypassing it.

They'll install adiabatic coolers in no time.

If evaporative cooling is the only solution then the market will adjust to the new cost by moving power generation towards the coasts or just increase the price, if there are other solutions they’ll become the economically more viable. Either way more water is conserved and you can always balance the cost benefit by adjusting the fine/tax to find a good balance.

Necessity is the mother of invention, life uh finds a way.