Water-Energy Nexus

There are sources beyond the text to provide you with current perspectives on how the production of energy is intensely dependent upon water – primarily freshwater withdrawals. I have listed two of those sources on this page. The objective here is not to become energy experts, but to become aware of the often conflicting demands we place on limited supplies of freshwater. First, quickly review the Microsoft PowerPoint (converted to a PDF file) prepared by Diana Glassman (2011) as a summary of her report for the World Policy Institute on the water-energy nexus. It provides good visuals on the demands that energy production places on water resources. Next, peruse the U.S. Department of Energy report (2014, Executive Summary). I call your attention to Figure 2 (p.3), which plots freshwater withdrawals over time for energy versus other major uses (irrigation and livestock, public and domestic supplies, industrial uses). Also, examine the complex, two-page Figure 6 (p.6-7) that portrays energy flows through various systems. Finally, Figure 9 (p.10) is an impressive attempt to integrate water-energy-land dynamics – certainly “food” for thought.