The Future of California’s Water-Energy-Climate Nexus

Pacific Institute | September 9th, 2021

Water and energy are inextricably linked in California and, as one resource faces constraints or challenges, so does the other. With the state looking to both reach its c

Water and energy are inextricably linked in California and, as one resource faces constraints or challenges, so does the other. With the state looking to both reach its climate change goals and decarbonize its economy through a transition to 100 percent clean energy, water will play an integral role. Water is a key input for energy production, and energy is integral to all aspects of water management and use in California—including collection, treatment, heating, and wastewater management. Prior studies have estimated that about 20 percent of California’s total statewide electricity use, a third of non-power plant natural gas consumption, and 88 billion gallons of diesel consumption are related to water—from collection and treatment to use and wastewater management—with a large share associated with heating water. These interdependencies between water and energy supplies are commonly referred to as the water-energy nexus.

The importance of system configuration for distributed direct potable water reuse

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | April 27th, 2020

Water and wastewater infrastructure worldwide faces unprecedented demand and supply conflicts that require unconventional solutions. In this study, we develop a novel mod

Water and wastewater infrastructure worldwide faces unprecedented demand and supply conflicts that require unconventional solutions. In this study, we develop a novel modelling framework to assess the environmental and economic implications of a hybrid water supply system that supplements a centralized surface water supply with distributed direct potable reuse (DPR) of municipal wastewater, as a strategy to address such challenges. The model is tested with real water and wastewater systems data from the City of Houston, Texas. Results show that supplementing the conventional centralized water supply with distributed DPR would reduce water age in the drinking-water distribution network and hence improve water quality; properly designed system configurations attain system-wide net energy savings even with the high energy consumption of existing technologies used for advanced treatment of the wastewater. A target energy efficiency for future advanced treatment technologies is identified to achieve net energy saving with all hybrid system configurations. Furthermore, distributed DPR remains financially competitive compared with other unconventional water supply solutions. The modelling framework and associated databases developed in this study serve an important research need for quantitatively characterizing distributed and hybrid water systems, laying the necessary foundation for rational design of integrated urban water systems.

The Klamath River’s dams are being removed. Inside the effort to restore a scarred watershed

Los Angeles Times | March 24th, 2024

HORNBROOK, Calif. — Near the California-Oregon border, reservoirs that once submerged valleys have been drained, revealing a stark landscape that had been underwater fo

HORNBROOK, Calif. — Near the California-Oregon border, reservoirs that once submerged valleys have been drained, revealing a stark landscape that had been underwater for generations. A thick layer of muddy sediment covers the sloping ground, where workers have been scattering seeds and leaving meandering trails of footprints. In the cracked mud, seeds are sprouting and tiny green shoots are appearing. With water passing freely through tunnels in three dams, the Klamath River has returned to its ancient channel and is flowing unhindered for the first time in more than a century through miles of waterlogged lands.

The State Water Project Delivery Capability Report 2023 Addendum - Impacts of Subsidence

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 7th, 2025

The purpose of this addendum is to show how ongoing subsidence effects on the California Aqueduct will impact operation of the State Water Project (SWP). The addendum pro

The purpose of this addendum is to show how ongoing subsidence effects on the California Aqueduct will impact operation of the State Water Project (SWP). The addendum provides information to SWP water users about a potential range of water delivery impacts over the next 20 years if no corrective action is taken to address the subsidence effects. However, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is committed to restore the conveyance capacity of the California Aqueduct and has an engineering plan for near-term fixes. DWR is also working with its partners to secure additional funding sources for this work. DWR is confident that the California Aqueduct capacity will be restored and the SWP will not see the impacts outlined in this addendum. Thus, long-term water supply planning activities by water users should rely on the potential future SWP allocation results presented in the 2023 Delivery Capability Report (DCR 2023) released in 2024.

The Steam Wells of California

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | May 5th, 1928

The utilisation of the steam of the soffioni of Tuscany as a source of mechanical power has steadily developed since 1904 when the first pioneer experiments were

The utilisation of the steam of the soffioni of Tuscany as a source of mechanical power has steadily developed since 1904 when the first pioneer experiments were carried out at Larderello by Prince Ginori Conti. The remarkable results which have since been achieved were described in NATURE of Jan. 14 last. Similar sources of geothermal energy were first tapped in California in 1921, and since then several deep wells have been successfully sunk, some of them being superior both in pressure and steam output to any yet reported from Italy. The active region is known as ‘The Geysers,’ and lies on the western side of the St. Helena Range, one of the coast ranges of California. Along a line some twentyfive miles in length, which appears to mark a fault or shatter belt, hot springs, some of which are associated with quicksilver deposits, occur at intervals. There are no actual geysers at ‘The Geysers,’ but over an area of thirty-five acres the ground is dotted with hot springs and fumaroles and salt patches, and steam and gases are constantly seeping through the surface. A thorough investigation of the locality has been made by Dr. E. T. Allen and Dr. A. L. Day, and the results, beautifully published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington,1 add very materially to our knowledge of subterranean supplies of magmatic steam.

The Water Footprint of California’s Energy System, 1990–2012

Pacific Institute | February 1st, 2015

A new article by Julian Fulton and  Heather Cooley  evaluates the amount of water consumed in meeting California’s energy needs – also referred to as the water foot

A new article by Julian Fulton and  Heather Cooley  evaluates the amount of water consumed in meeting California’s energy needs – also referred to as the water footprint of energy. The article, published in Environmental Science and Technology, examines how the water footprint of energy changed between 1990 and 2012 – finding that the amount of water consumed substantially increased over recent decades without utilizing more of the state’s water resources, but rather by relying more heavily on water resources from outside the state. Much of that increase is attributable to the production of bioethanol, which recent energy policies have promoted to meet state greenhouse gas targets. Fulton and Cooley demonstrate that while efforts to mitigate climate change in California have been successful in reducing greenhouse gases, these policies may have shifted burdens from energy to water, rather than alleviate them. They conclude that more integrated analysis and planning of water and energy systems are needed to ensure that climate adaptation and mitigation strategies do not work at cross purposes. Abstract: California’s energy and water systems are interconnected and have evolved in recent decades in response to changing conditions and policy goals. For this analysis, we use a water footprint methodology to examine water requirements of energy products consumed in California between 1990 and 2012. We combine energy production, trade, and consumption data with estimates of the blue and green water footprints of energy products. We find that while California’s total annual energy consumption increased by just 2.6% during the analysis period, the amount of water required to produce that energy grew by 260%. Nearly all of the increase in California’s energy-related water footprint was associated with water use in locations outside of California, where energy products that the state consumes were, and continue to be, produced. We discuss these trends and the implications for California’s future energy system as it relates to climate change and expected water management challenges inside and outside the state. Our analysis shows that while California’s energy policies have supported climate mitigation efforts, they have increased vulnerability to climate impacts, especially greater hydrologic uncertainty. More integrated analysis and planning are needed to ensure that climate adaptation and mitigation strategies do not work at cross purposes.

Toward a Vibrant, Prosperous, and Sustainable Fresno County: Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Midst of Rapid Change

California Energy Commission (CEC) | July 31st, 2012

Fresno County is located centrally within the State of California. The central portion of the county makes up part of the state’s breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley, k

Fresno County is located centrally within the State of California. The central portion of the county makes up part of the state’s breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley, known for its vast agricultural productivity, whereas the Sierra Nevada Mountains make up the eastern portion of the county providing water from snowmelt and varied opportunities for recreation.  Fresno County recently began making a significant investment in its economic vitality and the well-being and quality of life of its residents through the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint. Aside the growing pressures and challenges that accompany further population growth and development, external pressures will also impinge on the county. Climate change – one of these important additional pressures – will impact Fresno in a variety of ways, some potentially severe, with direct impacts on its people, its all-important agricultural sector (and related economic activity), its supporting infrastructure and services, as well as the natural environment on which much of the county’s economy, rural character, and quality of life directly depend. This report details current vulnerabilities to weather- and climate-related changes and extreme events in Fresno, and explores how climate change may exacerbate or change them in the decades ahead. The report draws on publicly available reports, plans, and data repositories available from local (municipal and county), state, federal and nongovernmental sources as well as on peer-reviewed research papers. For the social vulnerability assessment, original research was conducted to assess differential vulnerabilities among San Luis Obispo’s population. Other assessments of vulnerability rest on the critical assessment of current conditions as ascertained from the existing information. This report provides a review of the region’s projected climate change and existing demographics and economic industries and infrastructure. Among the most critical additional stresses from climate warming are increased average seasonal temperatures; longer, more intense heat waves; changes in rainfall patterns and water availability (via Sierra snowmelt); and increases in wildfires. The changes could translate into major damage in terms of public and environmental health, and Fresno’s economy, e.g., the production of nut and fruit crops. From the social vulnerability analysis conducted, a clear picture of differential social and economic vulnerabilities emerges characterized above all by the enormous dependence of the county’s economy and population on the highly climate-sensitive agricultural sector. These growing issues, while challenging, can be surmounted with timely and adequate planning and preparation. City and county governments, as well as private and civic sector actors, can integrate adaptation into their ongoing efforts to implement already existing plans, such as the Valley Blueprint, Fresno Green and other local and regional measures. Many of these social, economic, institutional, educational, and infrastructure measures can be implemented on regular maintenance, upgrading, planning, and budgeting cycles, and bring benefits to the county’s residents, particularly its disadvantaged groups, its quality of life and environment, its fiscal situation and its economy overall. Thus, developing adaptation plans and implement agreed-upon measures is directly in support of Fresno County achieving its vision of a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable future.

Tracing enhanced oil recovery signatures in casing gases from the Lost Hills oil field using noble gases

Earth and Planetary Science Letters (Elsevier) | August 15th, 2018

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and hydraulic fracturing practices are commonly used methods to improve hydrocarbon extraction efficiency; however, the environmental effects

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and hydraulic fracturing practices are commonly used methods to improve hydrocarbon extraction efficiency; however, the environmental effects of such practices remain poorly understood. EOR is particularly prevalent in oil fields throughout California where water resources are in high demand and the disposal of large volumes of produced water may affect groundwater quality. Consequently, it is essential to better understand the fate of injected (EOR) fluids in California, and other subsurface petroleum systems, as well as any potential effect on nearby aquifer systems. Noble gases can be used as tracers to understand hydrocarbon generation, migration, and storage conditions, as well as the relative proportions of oil and water present in the subsurface. In addition, a noble gas signature diagnostic of injected (EOR) fluids can be readily identified. We report noble gas isotope and concentration data in casing gases from oil production wells in the Lost Hills oil field, northwest of Bakersfield, California, and injectate gas data from the Fruitvale oil field, located within the city of Bakersfield. Casing and injectate gas data are used to: 1) establish pristine hydrocarbon noble-gas signatures and the processes controlling noble gas distributions, 2) characterize the noble gas signature of injectate fluids, 3) trace injectate fluids in the subsurface, and 4) construct a model to estimate EOR efficiency. Noble gas results range from pristine to significantly modified by EOR, and can be best explained using a solubility exchange model between oil and connate/formation fluids, followed by gas exsolution upon production. This model is sensitive to oil–water interaction during hydrocarbon expulsion, migration, and storage at reservoir conditions, as well as any subsequent modification by EOR.

Trade-offs across the water-energy-food nexus: A triple bottom line sustainability assessment of desalination for agriculture in the San Quintín Valley, Mexico

Environmental Science & Policy (Elsevier) | September 30th, 2020

This paper introduces a novel triple bottom line sustainability assessment to evaluate the water-energy-food nexus of desalination for agriculture. Falling technology cos

This paper introduces a novel triple bottom line sustainability assessment to evaluate the water-energy-food nexus of desalination for agriculture. Falling technology costs and rising water scarcity worldwide make desalination an increasingly attractive proposition, and agriculture is one of the main sectors grappling with its potential impacts. To explore this issue, we combine a wide range of primary and secondary environmental, economic, and social data with a triple bottom line / WEF nexus analysis, to demonstrate both the holistic sustainability impacts of desalination for agriculture, and the multi-sectoral policy environment within which desalination is adopted. We apply this approach to 54 privately-owned desalination plants that treat brackish groundwater for agricultural use in the San Quintín Valley of Baja California, Mexico. We find that subsidized energy for local agribusinesses plays an important role in making desalination economically viable in the region. This in turn fuels a large agricultural export industry that represents a significant virtual water transfer to the US market. Rapid population growth in the area driven by agricultural labor needs exacerbates the issues of social equity and sustainability that these subsidies and transfers raise. We conclude with a discussion of how to manage these identified trade-offs across the water-energy-food nexus.

Trend analysis of ground-water levels and spring discharge in the Yucca Mountain region, Nevada and California, 1960–2000

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 1st, 2002