[env-trinity] Energy and Water Report

[Byron]

If anyone wants a copy of this report, let me know:  bwl3 at comcast.net.  I'll
send you a copy.  The following from Natural Resources Defense Council:  

 

 

We are pleased to announce the release of the NRDC/Pacific Institute report

Energy Down the Drain: The Hidden Costs of California¹s Water Supply.  The

report, which can be downloaded at

http://www.nrdc.org/water/conservation/edrain/contents.asp,  examines the

energy required for water use in California.  Water conveyance and use

require enormous amounts of energy. Yet most of our water policy and

planning fails to consider the connections between these two resources.

 

California has a uniquely energy intensive water supply. Bringing water from

Northern to Southern California involves lifting that water 2000 feet over

the Tehachapi Mountains‹the highest lift of any water system in the world.

The State Water Project, which delivers that water, is the single largest

energy user in the state, representing 2 to 3% of California¹s energy use.

Consumers then use large additional amounts of energy to heat and circulate

that water. Water use and energy use both peak during summer months,

especially in hot summer areas like Southern California.  So water use

strains the power grid at the worst possible time.

 

 Energy Down the Drain² presents three case studies that detail the

important energy implications of water supply decisions. For instance, the

San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), which currently serves nearly 3

million people, estimates that by 2020 it will need at least an additional

100,000 acre-feet of water per year.

 

 The NRDC-Pacific Institute study found that taking additional water from
the

State Water Project and building a seawater desalination plant would consume

the most electricity, while improving water efficiency and conservation

efforts could save San Diego 767 million kilowatt hours (kWh) ­ enough

electricity power 118,000 households for a year.

 

 The report also studied proposals to retire drainage-impaired land on the

west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Decades of irrigation have caused toxic

salts to build up in the soil, rendering it practically infertile. The study

found that taking this land out of production and using the water to help

the environment could save enough energy for 18,000 households. However,

transferring the water to cities could dramatically increase energy use.

 

The report lists five key findings:

* Waterconservation lowers energy use and energy bills;

* Waterrecycling is a highly energy efficient water source;

* Retiringagricultural land may increase energy use if the water is

transferred toother agricultural or urban uses;

* Retiringagricultural land can save energy if the water dedicated to

theenvironment; and

* Divertingwater above dams costs power and money.

 

The report also includes specific recommendations to guide policymakers and

potential future legislation. For example, it says that California¹s Urban

Water Management Planning Act should be revised to require water suppliers

to consider the energy implications of their water management options. And

it recommends retiring drainage-impaired farmland in the San Joaquin Valley

and using the water saved to help restore the San Francisco Bay Delta.

 

This has been a summer of record-breaking energy use and continued drought.

Our report findings indicate that smart water policy can save enormous

amounts of energy and water, while helping California clean the air and

avoid power shortages.  We hope this report will help spark a dialogue on

how to better integrate energy considerations into water policy.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20041007/f8d4f7c2/attachment.html>