Water and energy are two sides of the same coin: the production of oil, gas, and electricity requires vast amounts of water; the transport and production of drinking water uses enormous amounts of energy.
That is why water and energy should be managed together in terms of public policy development, according the authors of The Water-Energy Nexus in the American West. Water requirements must be considered in weighing advantages and disadvantages of various energy production schemes, just as energy use and cost must be considered when choosing water treatment and delivery processes.
The savings opportunities in energy production as well as water production are exponential when water policy and energy policy are integrated. Thoughtfully designed new technologies and approaches can help restore damaged environments and provide a range of benefits in the water-challenged, yet growing, western US.
The Water-Energy Nexus in the American West sheds new light on the choices that must be made in order to avoid unnecessary harm and waste in the development and management of water and energy systems. The volume looks first at the use of water for energy production and then follows with chapters on the role of energy in water projects. The final section looks at the way forward, providing cases and recommendations for better, more efficient linkages in the water-energy nexus.
Table of Contents
1. The Water-Energy Nexus: Methodologies, Challenges, and Opportunities
2. Energy, Water, and the Natural Environment
3. The Coal Conundrum
4. Oil Shale and Water
5. Managing Produced Water from Coalbed Methane Production
6. Concentrated Thermal Solar Power and the Value of Water for Electricity
7. The New Generation of Biofuels
8. Water–Energy Interdependencies and the Central Arizona Project
9. Energy-Intensive Water Supplies
10. The Energy Implications of Desalination
11. Energy Requirements for Water Supply in Utah
12. The Vital Role of Electrical Energy for Arizona Water Services
13. Adaptive Management as a Tool for Negotiating the Water–Energy Nexus
14. Decision Support for the Water–Energy Nexus: Examining Decision-Making in the American West
15. Integrated Planning: Transmission, Generation, and Water in the Western States
16. The Water Bargain of Solar and Wind Energy
17. Water–Energy Integration in California