Objectives of the Program:

• Conduct focused research on energy and water intensity of major industrial, commercial, agricultural and residential activities in California.

• Study constraints and opportunities influencing California’s future energy supply.

• Analyze internal and external factors that might increase California energy requirements, affecting water demand.

• Evaluate the implications of climate change on California’s energy and water supply and demand.

• Evaluate the implications of increases in energy demand, including ramifications on water supply & quality on habitat and recreational uses of water.

• Develop and test technologies and water management approaches that result in a decrease in the water intensity of electrical energy generation.

The Research Program on Energy & Water Sustainability seeks to:

• provide needed facts;

• generate and adapt modeling tools for decision analysis;

• conduct economic and policy studies;

• create and test new technologies and strategies to increase water and energy use efficiency;

• interact with stakeholders to provide timely answers to critical questions.

Energy and water supply and demand are intrinsically linked:

Water is essential for electrical energy production, particularly for hydroelectric and thermoelectric power generation.

Energy is essential for water extraction, desalination, conveyance, distribution, treatment, and storage.

California’s energy supply is significantly dependent on water. Even power generated via nuclear reactors uses significant amounts of water for cooling.

Biomass fuels may also require significant water input.

Agriculture and industry require both water and energy as inputs. Efforts to conserve water may in some cases require the use of more energy.

The energy-water relationship and its implications for California go far beyond the state’s borders.

For example California imports a significant amount of power from the Columbia River basin. Climatic variability and long-term climate change may affect the availability of hydroelectric power, placing a strain on California’s energy supply.

Reductions in the availability of water from the Colorado River will result in a need for additional energy consumption in California to extract and desalinate groundwater and seawater supplies.

Thus, it is important to consider the energy-water nexus in any major planning decision, particularly in California where water and energy may become limiting factors for economic development.

With this in mind, the Research Program on Energy and Water Sustainability has emerged as a partnership between the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara (Bren School), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Southern California Edison (SCE) and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Other stakeholders will also be invited to participate in the Research Program.