Watching Government: Energy and water

March 16, 2009
The US Congress is finally ready to talk about the relationship between energy and water.

The US Congress is finally ready to talk about the relationship between energy and water. The discussion is starting none-too-soon, as Congress considers ways to curb greenhouse gases, experts told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Mar. 10.

“Using today’s technologies, efforts to capture carbon from existing coal and natural gas plants or from new fossil [fuel] plants would cause increases in water consumption, a big concern for some regions, and may increase the cost of electricity, a concern for all,” said Carl O. Bauer, director of the US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Carbon capture and sequestration would increase both water and electricity costs, Bauer said. “A doubling of the price of electricity would raise the cost of water 25-40% because moving water over large distances requires substantial amounts of electricity,” he said.

The witnesses appeared before the committee to discuss S. 531, which Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and ranking minority member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alas.) introduced on Mar. 6. The bill would authorize six studies that would analyze the impacts energy and water policies have on each other.

An emerging nexus

“Whether it involves electricity generation or fuel production, the choice of fuel stock can dramatically influence the amount of water needed as part of the process of producing that energy,” Bingaman said in his opening statement, adding, “That nexus is starting to emerge in permitting decisions across the country.”

Bingaman said, “Similarly, acquiring, treating, and delivering water consumes a large amount of energy. Improving water use efficiencies may yield multiple benefits in the form of reduced water demand during times of shortage, and reduced energy consumption with attendant cost-savings that result from reduced energy production.”

Emerging energy-water issues seemingly have their biggest impact on electricity generation. But they also affect oil and gas. Although they weren’t mentioned at the hearing, hydraulic fracturing and produced water are immediate examples.

Transportation fuels

Michael E. Webber, associate director of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, said, “The move toward more water-intensive energy is especially relevant for transportation fuels such as unconventional fossil fuels (oil shale, coal-to-liquids, gas-to-liquids, tar sands), electricity and biofuels. All can require significantly more water to produce than gasoline.”

Problems also emerge because some energy processes that have less climate impact use more water. “We should encourage biofuels development only when it’s not water-intensive,” said Peter H. Glieck, president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, Calif.

“Let’s promote additional research and development on ways traditional energy sources can use water more efficiently. We’re going to continue using fossil fuels for a long time,” Glieck said.

Murkowski noted, “Several people say water is ‘the next oil’ in terms of competition. I believe we’re moving in that direction, and it could be a real fight.”