Integrated Water and Power Systems: Current State and Research Roadmap

Water and energy are resources that are reciprocally and mutually linked. All forms of energy production, energy distribution, fuel extraction, and fuel refinement require water, while every aspect of treatment, transport, and distribution of water and wastewater is dependent on sufficient and reliable energy. This interrelationship is often referred to as the energy-water nexus, or the water-energy nexus. 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. The interdependence between water and energy is growing in importance as demand for both water and energy increases, and several current trends call for addressing the water-energy nexus in an integrated and proactive way. Population growth and regional migration place additional demands on water and energy, while several regions around the world are already experiencing significant water and energy shortages. In addition, climate change will further challenge water and energy management by causing more water variability and intensified weather events, such as severe floods and droughts. Moreover, the introduction of new technologies in the energy and water domains, including digitalization and telecommunication, are introducing additional incentives and challenges for decision-making. In light of continuing changes in socioeconomic, environmental, policy, and technology dimensions around the globe, joint solutions for water and energy can help to ensure reliable access to energy and water resources while proactively addressing climate change and other related threats and grappling with aging infrastructure. This report provides a state-of-the-art literature review on integrated water and power system (WPS) topics with the aim to define critical and increasingly relevant research topics around integrated planning and operations, data and analytics, policy and economic interventions, new technologies, and resilience of integrated water-power systems. The report provides key challenges and opportunities relevant to each research topic, leveraging studies from the institutional and technical literature research landscape, both nationally and internationally. The goal of this report is to be used as a general blueprint for future integrated water-power system studies and to increase awareness of the broader scientific water-power community. Ultimately, this report will serve as a guide to shape future research and provide a better understanding of the energy-water nexus, and realize its full potential.