Water for Energy Initiative Moves Forward Through Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Yesterday, a promising bill highlighting water for energy successfully made it's way through the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources and will move forward to a full Senate vote. If the bill effectively makes it's way through both the Senate and House, the U.S. may finally 'officially' see more clearly the water impacts of energy development and begin to move towards a water efficient energy portfolio.

Cited as the Energy and Water Integration Act - the bill mirrors provisions that were included as part of the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 which did not successfully see any action. Highlighting the water impacts of energy production, as reported by the Alliance for Water Efficiency, the bill proposes:

• water and energy efficiency studies, research priorities and enhanced assessments on water-related energy consumption;

• An energy-water research and development roadmap;

• An energy-water clean technology grant program;

• A rural water utilities energy and water efficiency program; and

• A comprehensive water use and energy savings study.

The AWE press release continues on to report:

“Developing new policies that integrate energy and water solutions will become increasingly vital as populations grow and environmental needs increase and a changing climate continues to affect our energy and water resources,” stated Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).

Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Committee’s ranking Republican who co-sponsored the bill with Bingaman, noted that “all forms of energy production, distribution and use either requires water or affects water resources in some manner. By identifying the relative linkages between energy and water systems and key research needs, we’ll get a greater return on our investment in research, development and commercialization of energy and water technologies.”

As River Network has been in the midst of producing a new report on the water impacts of electricity development, we have certainly found a need for greater research and reporting on the water withdrawals and consumption required throughout the entire life-cycle of energy production - especially in the areas of resource extraction and processing, material transportation, and assembly and manufacturing of plants/dams/turbines/panels etc.

A government sanctioned push for increased research and greater transparency in the entire life cycle of energy production could drastically increase pressure on the current highly water intensive electricity producers such as coal, nuclear, natural gas, and some biofuels to increase water conservation and efficiency strategies. Almost more importantly though, is the energy-water clean technology grant program proposed in this bill. The program could hopefully get local engineering and manufacturing economies back and at em again, spurring the development of new water efficient clean energy technologies - which would in turn help protect one of our nations most precious and endangered natural resources - fresh water.

Lets cross our fingers this bill succeeds. I will keep an eye on it's progress and keep you updated on when and how you can show your support.

Click here to read the entire Energy and Water Integration Act bill.