December 13th, 2011
Via CleanTechies, a look at the challenges of the watergy nexus, particularly as the cost of energy to obtain fresh water keeps rising. For example, as the article notes: “…on average, for every barrel of oil currently recovered, eight barrels of wastewater are also generated. That’s quite a statistic, and probably one not many people […]
Read more »Oil And Water: Fracking May “Need More Water Than We Have” In Colorado
November 26th, 2011
Via The Denver Post, a revealing look at the water required for hydraulic fracking along Colorado’s Front Range: Oil and gas drillers have bought at least 500 million gallons of water this year from cities for use in hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” along Colorado’s Front Range. Now they need more. It’s the only way they’ll […]
Read more »November 23rd, 2011
Via Grist.org, a report on the looming watergy nexus crisis facing Texas. “…In case anyone missed it, Texas had a big drought last summer — the worst one-year droughtin the state’s history. Lakes dried, animals were slaughtered, cities imposed lawn-watering restrictions, the governor prayed for rain. Among the doom-and-gloom sector of the left, talk has […]
Read more »A Thirst For Power: Freshwater Use by U.S. Power Plants
November 17th, 2011
While discussed in a previous post, here is a direct link to the Union of Concerned Scientist’ recent report on the water-energy nexus. As the report’s summary says: Power plants are thirsty. Take the average amount of water flowing over Niagara Falls in a minute. Now triple it. That’s almost how much water power plants […]
Read more »November 16th, 2011
Two articles on a recent Union of Concerned Scientists/Energy and Water in a Warming World report looking at the watergy nexus in the United States. The first, via the New York Times, notes: Data from 2008 show that power plants in Texas and Massachusetts consume the most water in the cooling process. The first […]
Read more »The Energy, And Expense, Of Bringing Water To Southern California
November 14th, 2011
Via The Los Angeles Times, an interesting article on the impact that power costs and climate-change regulations are having upon Southern California’s long reliance upon imported water. As the report notes: The Julian Hinds Pumping Plant is one of the hydraulic hearts of California’s vast water supply system, built to push water from where it […]
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