As highlighted during the Fifth World Water Forum last month, energy and water are two resources hugely dependant on one another, and a new report focuses on how those two resources interact in Texas and what the state needs to do to balance demands for them.
The Energy-Water Nexus in Texas, a report from the University of Texas and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), examines how much water Texas needs in order to provide energy, including water used by cooling towers and reservoirs at power plants, as well as how much energy is used to supply and treat water.
Arguing that any decision about energy or water must be made with the other in mind, the report lays out four main steps the state must take to integrate water and energy planning:
1. Require that applications for new power plants include an analysis of water and efficiency implications for types of cooling options, including water availability, climate and air quality, and plant efficiency.
2. Require that new fossil-fueled or concentrated solar power plants demonstrate water availability.
3. Provide state statutory or regulatory incentives for implementing power plant cooling technologies that are less water-intensive than traditional systems.
4. Provide state agency guidance to water suppliers to help quantify energy use and cost savings associated with water conservation.
The report is the first in a series that will focus on Texas, with future reports including case studies and more place-specific water supply implications.
"Different areas of the state may need different solutions," said Amy Hardberger, co-author of the report and attorney with the Texas EDF office. "Some areas of the state are better suited for different types or combinations of cooling technologies depending on how much water is available in the area, and the region's air quality."
Texas dam - CC license by gurdonark
