The Role of Water in Energy Development

Abstract

One consequence of the recently increasing emphasis on energy development is public concern about the adequacy of ancillary natural resources, particularly water. This concern accompanies other water-related issues such as droughts, decling water tables, and increasing urbanization. But as the relatively new user on the water scene, energy attracts a major share of public attention. The physical availabiltiy of water and the role of economics in water demand by energy are reviewed. Also described are the social mechanisms through which the physical availability of water, the historical pattern of water use, and unresolved water issues combine to constrain and channel the energy industry's use of water. These mechanisms include the developing markets for water rights, the legal and administrative structure governing water allocation, the formation of social attidudes about water, and the political process that often implements concensus. The narrow physical interpretation commonly given to the question Is there enough water is broadened to include the social dimension, the most important component of the quenstion.