Water-Energy Sustainability Symposium 2010, Pittsburgh, PA, September 26-29

The Groundwater Protection Council (GWPC) and the U.S. Department of Energy are hosting the Water-Energy Sustainability Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA this September 26th – 29th. For the second year in a row, River Network has partnered with GWPC to help make this the best-attended, most informative event dedicated to educating watershed protection groups, policy makers, business leaders and other key stakeholders on the connections between water and energy.

Update 11/24/10: Were you unable to attend this year's event? Have no fear, materials from the Water-Energy Sustainability Symposium are now available to download online. Click here to download presentations from the Water-Energy Sustainability Symposium.

Here’s a press release for the Water-Energy Sustainability Symposium 2010:

Experts to Address Water/Energy Sustainability at National Event

Pittsburgh, PA — This September, the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host the second Water/Energy Sustainability Symposium to address challenges in meeting future water and energy needs.

The 2009 symposium held in Salt Lake City, UT primarily focused on western state issues. The 2010 Symposium will continue to highlight proven and innovative solutions to complex water/energy challenges with specific attention to issues facing the east.

This innovative symposium will bring together leaders from government, energy and water industries, academia, water organizations, and other stakeholders, to chart a collaborative course toward sustainability for both resources. The four-day symposium will be dedicated to understanding water-energy inter-relationships and the science, technology, and policy needs identified by the participants as steps towards integrated water-energy planning and sustainability in these changing times.

“The key to ensuring the sustainability of these vital resources is to act now,” said Joe Lee, GWPC President. “We must begin addressing energy’s impact on water and water users’ reliance on energy.”

Large, predictable quantities of water are needed to produce our nation’s energy. The treatment and distribution of water relies on easily accessible, affordable energy. As experts in both fields search for ways to meet future demand for both of these resources, the interdependence of water and energy is clear – and the need for collaboration critical.

With the goal of informing policy makers at both the state and national level, the event will feature more than 100 of the nation’s top experts from the public and private sectors. Hot topics including energy impacts on water use and water impacts on energy development; water and power generation; water needs for unconventional oil and gas, wind, solar, hydro and nuclear energy production; sustainable infrastructure and end-use efficiency; and integrated water-energy planning will be covered.

• The Water/Energy Symposium, September 26-29, 2010, Pittsburgh - Sheraton Station Square
• Registration opens June 1
• www.WaterEnergy2010.com - Call for Abstracts, Partnership, Sponsorship and Exhibitor opportunities

The Symposium is co-sponsored by the GWPC and DOE in collaboration with: National Ground Water Association, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, National Rural Water Association, Alliance for Water Efficiency, River Network, and others.

As I mentioned above, River Network partnered with GWPC for last year’s Water-Energy Symposium in Salt Lake City. The partnership was such a success that we decided to team up again to help promote the symposium to our network of river and watershed protection groups. I learned a lot from last year’s event in Salt Lake City and I look forward to learning even more this year in Pittsburgh.

The GWPC is looking for presenters and facilitators from public, private, and academic arenas to share research and ideas in sessions on the following topics:

• Water and Energy Sustainability
• Water Availability and Sustainability
• Water Quality
• Joint Water Quality, Availability and Sustainability
• Data Management

The deadline for submitting abstracts or presentation proposals is May 14, 2010. For more information on the specific topics being covered under the above session headings, visit the GWPC's Call for Presenters page.

For a brief recap of last year’s Water-Energy Sustainability Symposium, see my summary of day 1 or my summary of days 2 and 3.

You can also download conference materials and presentations from the Water-Energy Sustainability Symposium 2009, which I highly recommend checking out – especially the materials from my favorite session on “Green Buildings, Green Cities.”

The symposium, co-sponsored by the GWPC, DOE, and EPA, is in partnership with:

• River Network
• Alliance for Water Efficiency
• National Ground Water Association
• Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
• National Rural Water Association
• Energy In Depth, Water Research Foundation
• Western Coalition of Arid States
• Nuclear Energy Institute
• Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission
• Petroleum Technology Transfer Council
• Western Governors Association
• American Public Power Association
• Clean Water America Alliance
• Union of Concerned Scientists
• Environmental and Water Resources Institute
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies
• Environmental Defense Fund