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Spivy-Weber, Frances --- "Water–Energy Integration in California" [2011] ELECD 1036; in Kenney, S. Douglas; Wilkinson, Robert (eds), "The Water–Energy Nexus in the American West" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: The Water–Energy Nexus in the American West

Editor(s): Kenney, S. Douglas; Wilkinson, Robert

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781849809368

Section: Chapter 17

Section Title: Water–Energy Integration in California

Author(s): Spivy-Weber, Frances

Number of pages: 12

Extract:

17. Water­energy integration in
California
Frances Spivy-Weber

17.1. INTRODUCTION

In 1913, William Mulholland opened the 233-mile Los Angeles Aqueduct
from Owens Valley to Los Angeles, moving new water supplies to the
city without using energy for pumping. He and engineers before and after
his time understood the water­energy nexus and, where possible, incor-
porated this fact of physics into their designs and operations of water
systems. Likewise, water has a long history as a source of power and, in
the climate change debate, low-emission hydropower has been considered
a critical part of the base in projections of future energy supplies.
More recently, this link between water and energy gained new promi-
nence as an important factor in California's climate change strategy to
reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2005, the California Energy
Commission (CEC) reported that water use, delivery and treatment
accounted for approximately 19 percent of the electric energy, 32 percent
of the non-generation natural gas and 4 percent of the diesel fuel used
in the state. Industry and households were deemed the biggest water-
related energy consumers, especially those using natural gas to heat water
(California Energy Commission [CEC], 2005). The transport of water and
its treatment has also proven to be highly energy intensive, reportedly
accounting for approximately 5 percent of the 19 percent in the electric
sector in 2005 and revised upward toward 8 percent of the 19 percent in
2010. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) funded ...