What Could Dry up Laos’ Hydropower Potential

Via Asian Power, a report on Laos’ hydropower ambitions: Hydropower abundance in Laos puts it at the forefront of the electricity trade in Southeast Asia where it is poised to be a leading electricity exporter in the next decade. Grid integration projects in the region give Laos a stronger case to be a key player, but this is not […]

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Israel, Jordan, UAE Agree To Swap Solar Energy For Desalinated Water

Via The Times of Israel, a report on a recent deal between Israel, Jordan, and UAE to swap solar energy for desalinated water: Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates signed a renewed memorandum of understanding on Tuesday regarding a UAE-brokered deal signed a year ago to have Jordan provide solar energy to Israel, and […]

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Will US West’s Hydropower Survive The Drought?

Via Grist, an interview on whether the West’s biggest source of renewable energy – hydropower – will survive the drought? Reports of low water levels at a few big hydropower plants in the West over the last few years have made it seem like hydropower is becoming less reliable. Last summer, officials in California were […]

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Placing Solar Panels Over Los Angeles Aqueduct

Via Pasadena Star News, a report on a proposal to place solar panels over LA Aqueduct: A proposal to place solar panels over the 370-mile Los Angeles Aqueduct in an attempt to reduce evaporation and add capacity for renewable energy for residents was approved by a council committee this week. Around one-tenth of the water […]

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Droughts Creating Brutal Challenges For Canadian Hydroelectric Utilities

Via the Globe and Mail, an article on drought’s impact on hydropower generation in Canada: Manitoba Hydro’s recent annual financial report demonstrates what happens when severe drought reduces water volumes passing through a power utility’s dams. Manitoba suffered the worst drought in decades during the utility’s 2021-22 fiscal year. Since hydroelectric dams generate nearly all […]

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The Cost to Capture Carbon? More Water and Electricity.

Via The Guardian, a look at how a Louisiana power company’s plan to capture climate emissions is raising concerns about the state’s water supplies: A carbon capture proposal for a central Louisiana power plant has been titled “Project Diamond Vault” by its owner, Louisiana utility Cleco. The utility says the project will have “precious value” to […]

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About This Blog And Its Author
As the scarcity of water and energy continues to grow, the linkage between these two critical resources will become more defined and even more acute in the months ahead.  This blog is committed to analyzing and referencing articles, reports, and interviews that can help unlock the nascent, complex and expanding linkages between water and energy -- The Watergy Nexus -- and will endeavor to provide a central clearinghouse for insightful articles and comments for all to consider.

Educated at Yale University (Bachelor of Arts - History) and Harvard (Master in Public Policy - International Development), Monty Simus has held a lifelong interest in environmental and conservation issues, primarily as they relate to freshwater scarcity, renewable energy, and national park policy.  Working from a water-scarce base in Las Vegas with his wife and son, he is the founder of Water Politics, an organization dedicated to the identification and analysis of geopolitical water issues arising from the world’s growing and vast water deficits, and is also a co-founder of SmartMarkets, an eco-preneurial venture that applies web 2.0 technology and online social networking innovations to motivate energy & water conservation.  He previously worked for an independent power producer in Central Asia; co-authored an article appearing in the Summer 2010 issue of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal, titled: “The Water Ethic: The Inexorable Birth Of A Certain Alienable Right”; and authored an article appearing in the inaugural issue of Johns Hopkins University's Global Water Magazine in July 2010 titled: “H2Own: The Water Ethic and an Equitable Market for the Exchange of Individual Water Efficiency Credits.”