To Whom It May Concern,
As the lead for the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Energy Tech Team (WETT) Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement working group, I would like to provide the following recommendation for an addition to the HLPE Report Draft v0.
Page 21, Section 1.3.4, I recommend you add the following introductory paragraph:
“Present day water and energy systems are tightly intertwined. Water is used in all phases of energy production and electricity generation. Energy is required to extract, convey, and deliver water of appropriate quality for diverse human uses, and then again to treat waste waters prior to their return to the environment. Historically, interactions between energy and water have been considered on a regional or technology-by-technology basis. At the national and international levels, energy and water systems have been developed, managed, and regulated independently. As the largest single consumer of water, agriculture competes directly with the energy sector for water resources. However, agriculture also contributes indirectly to the energy sector via production of biofuels. Both connections will be strained by increasing concerns over water availability and quality. (DOE 2014).”
Reference: DOE (U.S. Department of Energy), 2014. The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities. (Page v. and vi.)
Justification: Section 1.3.4 elucidates the "water for energy" and "energy for water" aspects of the nexus, but they aren't actually called out. This also provides an opportunity to share the U.S. Department of Energy report on the nexus.
Perhaps of additional interest, pages x. and xi. of the report explain and illustrates: “The connection of water and energy to land is particularly important (Figure ES.4), as are the connections to global and regional climate, technology options and strategies, and broader aspects of socioeconomic development.”
Thank you, and please let me know if there are questions. Also, if you desire a more detailed conversation, including a briefing on our report, please feel free to contact me. Scott.
Scott G. Hutchins