Flo
Infographic: How Water and Energy are Connected
As we’re all well aware by now, climate change dramatically affects our water usage, which impacts the amount of energy we use. Roughly 40 percent of the freshwater in the US is used to cool down generators in thermal plants used to produce energy, and a staggering amount of energy is used to pump this water in the first place. However, higher temperatures, decreases in rainfall (critically seen in California’s Central Valley) and irregular weather patterns put even more stress on our diminishing freshwater supply each year. It’s unclear how much water, even after treatment, is safely or effectively returning to us.
Here’s a thoughtful infographic from the Department of Energy about how water and energy production are interdependent, and what emerging technologies could do to help.