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Although freshwater flows abundantly in many of our nation’s lakes, rivers, and streams, it is a dwindling resource in many parts of the country. As the demand for water increases, demand for energy is similarly expected to grow. While the growth rate in energy consumption in the United States has slowed over time, overall consumption continues to rise. To help meet this increased energy demand, domestic energy production is rising, along with its associated water usage. This increase in water use associated with energy development is being driven, in part, by rising energy demand, increased development of domestic energy, and shifts to more water-intense energy sources and technologies.

A considerable amount of water is used to:

• cool thermoelectric power plants,
• grow feedstocks and convert them into biofuels,
• extract oil and natural gas from geologic formations, and
• extract oil shale in the event commercial production of this energy source becomes economically feasible in the future.

Some of these sources of energy, such as biofuels that require the use of large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides to grow the feedstock, may also negatively affect water quality. In addition, development of oil and gas resources can produce large volumes of wastewater—known as “produced water”—that must be disposed of or treated to allow for its reuse. Conversely, significant amounts of energy are needed to extract, transport, treat, and use water in urban areas, additionally contributing to energy demand. Understanding and consideration of the link between energy and water will be essential to ensuring a sustainable supply of each.

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