Watergy In Megacities

Via Ars Technica, a report on how energy, water, and materials flow through the world’s growing megacities: Over the last century, the explosion of the human population has been accompanied by the growth of cities worldwide. The increased presence of large cities presents unique global challenges regarding environmental sustainability. Megacities, those containing more than 10 million people, are the […]

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China’s Water-Energy-Food Choke Points

Via the Wilson Center’s New Security Beat, a detailed look at the water / energy / food nexus in China: Last month, the China Environment Forum released a new Global Choke Point report,China’s Water-Energy-Food Roadmap. To date, we believe this is the most comprehensive report on China’s interlinked natural resource insecurities – dwindling water resources […]

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Western Drought Steals Clean Energy Along With Fresh Water At Power Plants

Via the Washington Post, a look at the southwest US drought’s watergy impact: The floor rumbled under Mark Cook. His legs vibrated as he stood in a tunnel tucked into the thick base of Hoover Dam, 430 feet below the tourists looking out over Lake Mead. Beneath him, water roared through steel pipes 13 feet […]

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Watergy: The Troubling Interdependency Of Water And Power

Courtesy of the New York Times, an interesting look at watergy: A water-pumping plant along the Colorado River Aqueduct, which is one of the three major aqueducts that bring water to Los Angeles. In Modesto, Calif., utility records chart an 18 percent rise in farmers’ energy use in 2014 compared with 2013. No evidence shows exactly […]

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Will The World Be Thirsty For Energy?

Via LinkedIn, commentary on the watergy nexus: In an era when engineering has pushed the envelope of production possibilities, the challenge may no longer be to attain greater heights, but rather to promote the longevity and viability of limited resources, like water.   Back in the days when economies were organic, production depended on land, […]

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Towards A Watergy Secure China

Via China Water Risk, an overview of a new report on watergy in China: China’s waterscape is changing. Water risks in China, be they physical, economic or regulatory, have great social-economic impact and are well recognized.  China Water Risk (CWR) has encouraged a comprehensive view of such water risks since our launch in October 2011 with the […]

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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.”