Water and Energy: How Will Climate Change Reshuffle the Cards?

Water and energy are mutually interdependent, in that water is needed for the production of energy and energy is needed for pumping, treating and transporting water to a variety of final consumers.  In addition, energy is needed to treat wastewater to prevent fouling of natural water bodies. The energy footprint of the water sector is substantial.  For example, in California it is estimated that close to one-fifth of electricity demand is associated with managing water. The impacts of climate change on water availability and use will affect energy demand, while changes in energy prices associated with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have impacts on the water sector.  This talk will focus on the potential impacts of climate change on the water-energy nexus in the western United States, and will explore the impacts of changes in the timing of snowmelt on hydropower generation and consumptive water uses for irrigation and municipal supply.  In particular, it will focus on the challenges facing urban water providers as they seek to both achieve water supply security and reduce the energy intensity of their operations. The efforts of cities along Colorado’s Front Range to implement a risk-management approach to climate adaptation planning will provide insights on how the planning process can be structured to facilitate joint consideration of changes in water availability and changes in energy costs and supply sources arising from policies to reduce carbon emissions.