Report On the Water-Energy Nexus in Texas

Nearly a year ago, I attended a meeting at the University of Texas at Austin which brought together a couple dozen or so experts to identify policy barriers and map out ideas to better integrate water and energy decision making. During the meeting, I was introduced to a great report from researchers at UT Austin and the Environmental Defense Fund that explores the water-energy nexus in Texas.

I briefly mentioned the Energy-Water Nexus in Texas report in a blog post summarizing the meeting that took place Austin last year. I had intended to write an entire post dedicated to the Texas report but it escaped me until now, so I apologize for the delay.

As one might guess from the title, the report provides a good overview of the water energy nexus in Texas (I love the way that rhymes). Summarizing some of the report’s key findings, EDF explains:

Cutting energy use also saves water

One of the fastest, most efficient ways to save water in drought-stricken Texas is to increase energy efficiency. Here’s why:

• Enough water for more than 3 million people is used in Texas each year to cool the state’s thermoelectric power plants. Increasing energy efficiency will cut energy demand, limiting the need for water for cooling, and also reducing the need to build new, water-hungry plants.
• Enough electricity for about 100,000 people goes to run water and wastewater systems each year in Texas. So reducing water use also will save energy.

In a nod to climate change – and the weirder, generally more extreme weather events Texas and the rest of the U.S. are expected to experience as global warming becomes more pronounced – the report also looks at how extreme weather events can increase vulnerability of energy and water systems. :

Extreme weather in Texas increases vulnerabilities

Droughts, heat waves and hurricanes are not unusual experiences for Texas. Such extreme weather can seriously damage water and energy supplies, and climate change and population growth will only make these problems worse. Consider these examples:

• A severe drought in the southeastern United States in 2007-2008 brought power plants within days of being forced to shut down due to a lack of water for cooling.

• A severe multi-year drought in the Western U.S. has so lowered water levels behind Hoover Dam that Las Vegas risks losing much of its drinking water. Also, the dam’s hydroelectric turbines could quit spinning and cut off a significant source of power for Los Angeles.

• During the heat wave in France in 2003 that was responsible for approximately 15,000 deaths, nuclear power plants had to reduce their power output because of the high inlet temperatures of the cooling water just when electricity demand was spiking due to air conditioning use. (U.S. and French regulations restrict the discharge of too-warm water to avoid ecosystem damage from thermal pollution.)

• Hurricanes Ike and Gustav caused sustained power outages, which can affect the ability to get safe, clean drinking water to the public.

The Energy-Water Nexus in Texas report also offers some simple, straightforward policy recommendations that can help Texas – or any community, for that matter – grapple with their water, energy and climate challenges:

Recommendations for integrating energy and water planning

To address the problem of strained water and energy resources, EDF's report makes specific recommendations on how to build a framework for more integrated energy-water planning, including:

• Amend state law to require that applications for new power plants include an analysis of the water and efficiency implications of various types of cooling options applicable to the proposed plant. The analysis should include factors relating to local climate and air quality, regional air quality, water availability, including instream flow requirements, fuel type and plant efficiency.

• Require a clear demonstration of water availability in the siting of new fossil‐fueled power plants or concentrated solar (this analysis should consider average rainfall years as well as availability during extreme drought events).

• Provide state statutory and regulatory incentives for implementation of power plant cooling technologies that are less water‐intensive than traditional systems, such as air‐cooling or hybrid wet/dry cooling.

• Provide state-approved guidance (from the Texas Water Development Board and/or the State Energy Conservation Office) to water suppliers and wastewater treatment providers to help quantify energy use and cost savings associated with water conservation.

Be sure to visit the Energy-Water Nexus in Texas report website to download the report, and for links to videos and presentations by some of its authors.