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Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.2008.tb09645.x
Subject(s) - hydroelectricity , virginia tech , general partnership , energy source , water resources , west virginia , environmental science , engineering , natural gas , environmental engineering , waste management , business , geography , library science , computer science , ecology , archaeology , finance , electrical engineering , biology
This article announces that researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, are researching the water efficiency of some of the most common energy sources and power‐generating methods. Tamin Younos, a research professor of water resources, and Rachelle Hill, an undergraduate student majoring in environmental science and aquatic resources, have analyzed 11 types of energy sources. According to the study, the most water‐efficient energy source is natural gas, consuming 3 gallons of water/million Btu produced. In terms of power‐generation, Younos and Hill found that hydroelectric plants are the most water‐efficient, consuming about 20 gal of water/million Btu produced. Younos and Hill conclude that in the near future increased energy development will be competing with cities and farms for available water supplies and that there is an immediate need to incorporate water availability into energy and power‐generation policies. This study is part of a multicollege partnership at Virginia Tech led by Younos that proposes a new approach to managing water and energy resources.