Fueling the Flow: Paying Attention to Where Water and Energy Meet

Behold the power of water, or at least the interdependent force of the two. More now than ever, the American West is realizing the binary nature of energy production and water delivery. Moving water from source to sink takes a significant amount of power. And power plants — especially nuclear and hydroelectric sites — require water to cool and create.

But seldom do energy and water managers collaborate, reports the Arizona Republic. According to Ronnie Cohen, a senior policy analyst for the environmental advocacy organization Natural Resources Defense Council, “The resources are inextricably connected, yet by and large the decisions about the two are made in two completely separate places.”

Dry states are beginning to consider the confluence, as they strive to make their consumption of water and energy more sustainable. In Arizona, several power plants use reclaimed wastewater to cool their engines. From sustainable infrastructure to tax incentives for water-efficient appliances, policy makers and politicians are recognizing the very tangible flow of power.

Read more here.

Source: The Arizona Republic