Saving Water, Saving Energy

There is a growing awareness that water and energy are interdependent. Energy development stresses water supplies while using water requires massive amounts of energy. In April 2009, River Network released a report which found that at a minimum, pumping, treating and heating water in the United States consumes over 520 million Megawatt hours per year – equivalent to 13% of the country’s electricity consumption. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from water use were conservatively estimated to be approximately 290 million metric tons per year, which is comparable to the greenhouse gas emissions of 62 coal-fired power plants. On the other hand, power plants in the United States currently use approximately 201 billion gallons of water per day – more than twice what flows through the Nile River. Water use in the energy sector is growing faster than in any other sector in the country, with most of this demand shifting toward the West where water is already scarce. As communities face the challenges brought on by climate change and resource scarcity, understanding and leveraging the connections between water and energy can provide ripe opportunities to address these challenges.

In this presentation, participants will learn all about the water-energy nexus, including water-related energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., the potential to save energy saving through water-oriented approaches, and an overview of water use and trends in the energy sector.