By Richard W. Healy, William M. Alley, Mark A. Engle, Peter B. McMahon, and Jerad D. Bales
U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1407 2015
The USGS has assembled a review of the complex ways in which water and energy are interconnected in the report, The Water-Energy Nexus—An Earth Science Perspective. This document describes the earth science data collection and research used to develop current understanding of the water-energy nexus. Water availability and use are closely connected with energy development and use. Water cannot be delivered to homes, businesses, and industries without energy, and most forms of energy development require large amounts of water. Understanding this nexus can be improved by enhanced data collection and research. The document analyzes and discusses a broad range of relevant earth science issues, including freshwater availability, water use, and ecosystems health. It contains assessments of saline water resources and of fossil-fuel, uranium, and geothermal resources. In addition there are discussions of subsurface injection of wastewater and carbon dioxide and related induced seismicity; climate change and its effect on water availability and energy production; by products and waste streams of energy development; emerging energy-development technologies; and energy for water treatment and delivery. Circular 1407 can be downloaded from http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1407/.