AWE-ACEEE Water and Energy Research Work Group
*This page contains a wealth of information and resources related to the AWE-ACEEE Water and Energy Research Work Group which was active from 2012 through 2014. The committee does not currently meet.
As an extension of the Blueprint for Action, a joint project of the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) and 
the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Alliance for Water Efficiency assembled a working group to explore ongoing and prospective research regarding the water-energy nexus. Of specific concern is the amount of water needed for and thus “embedded” in electric power generation and the amount of energy “embedded” in drinking water treatment and pumping and wastewater treatment and pumping.
The work group meetings consist of presentations and discussions that help promote, track, and understand water and energy research. Below is a list of past meetings that includes downloadable copies of the presentations, a database of water and energy studies and resources, and the workgroup roster of participants.
Workgroup Research Needs White Paper and Database of Existing Research
The AWE-ACEEE Water and Energy Research Work Group meetings culminated in a white paper that identified research needs and a database of existing research. The two resources were released on July 9, 2013. The paper and database were produced by GEI Consultants, Inc. and vetted by the workgroup.
Links to download the white paper and database:
Water-Energy Nexus Research: Recommendations for Future Opportunities
Water and Energy Nexus Research Database
Related 8/20/2013 AWE Water-Energy Nexus Webinar
- PDF of Webinar Presentation
- Link to Webinar Recording
Work Group Meeting Presentations
July 30, 2012
Mary Ann Dickinson - Alliance for Water Efficiency - Opening Presentation
Lorraine White - GEI Consultants - Embedded Energy in Water in California
Amy Talbot - Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) - Embedded Energy in Water in Illinois
October 8, 2012
Vince Tidwell - Sandia National Laboratories - Thermoelectric Cooling Overview and New Modeling in the Western U.S.
Wendy Wilson - River Network - The Water Footprint of Electricity
November 30, 2012
Kelly Twomey Sanders - The University of Texas at Austin - Evaluating the Energy Embedded in Water Systems
Robert Goldstein - Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) - Water Resource Trends, Projections and Risk Management
January 31, 2013
Allison Deines - Water Environment Research Foundation - Energy Production and Efficiency at Wastewater Treatment Plants
Stacy Tellinghuisen - Western Resource Advocates - Managing Energy, Water, & Drought – Solutions from the Interior West
March 18, 2013
Jason Turgeon - United States Environmental Protection Agency - EPA Programs to Promote Water and Wastewater Energy Efficiency
April 25, 2013
James Meldrum - University of Colorado - Water for Electricity: Life Cycle, Current, and Future Use
Kathleen O’Connor - NYSERDA - The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Municipal Water and Wastewater Sector
May 23, 2013
Eric Cutter - Energy + Environmental Economics - Water-Energy Avoided Cost Framework
Steve Kenway - University of Queensland - Water-energy-carbon links in cities: Current and emerging research
March 6, 2014
Ron Faibish - U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee - Summary of Bill S. 1971, "Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2014"
Robert Goldstein - Electric Power Research Institute - National Assessment of Energy Use by Water Sector and Water Consumption by All Sectors
Heather Cooley - Pacific Institute - Water-Energy Synergies: Coordinating Efficiency Programs in California
Resources
White paper: Water-Energy Nexus Research: Recommendations for Future Opportunities
Water and Energy Nexus Research Database
Work Group Roster
AWE Water and Energy Page
White Paper and Database July 9, 2013 Press Release
*Please send an email to info@a4we.org with any questions regarding the work group.