A report published in April by the U.S. Geological Survey provides a comprehensive look at the complexities of the connections between water and energy and the data collection and research needed to help the United States preserve sustainable water supplies and sufficient energy resources.
The Water-Energy Nexus – An Earth Science Perspective (Circular 1407) includes an overview of the water used in energy production and use across the various methods of fuel extraction and processing – from natural gas and oil to coal, uranium and biomass. An explanation of water use for thermoelectric power plants, hydroelectric plants as well as wind and passive solar technologies is also included. The byproducts and waste streams of energy development are also discussed. The publication also describes energy needed for water development, distribution and use and wastewater collection and treatment.
The reports notes that uncertainty around such subjects as the amount of water used in energy development, water-related energy use and the effects of emerging energy development technologies on water quality and quantity impacts the nation’s ability to establish sustainable supplies of water and energy into the future. The report details the information currently gathered to understand issues related to the water-energy nexus and the additional research needed to improve our understanding of these relationships.
Also discussed in the USGS Circular is the changing climate and its effect on water availability and emerging energy-development technologies. The documement concludes with a recommendation that policy makers take a more pragmatic approach to finding solutions to our water-energy challenges by looking at existing technology rather than gravitating toward the “allure of promising but not fully developed technologies to address pressing water and energy concerns.” As technology evolves, “prudent resource-management strategies” will bring along new advances as they become readily available.