On the heels of New York Energy Week, former EPA Administrator Carol Browner highlights in this editorial the import role nuclear power plays when states seek to comply with newly enacted regulations limiting carbon emissions from existing power plants. “As the health and economic impact of dangerous greenhouse gases and carbon pollution becomes ever clearer, the need for carbon-free electricity sources has become more imperative. The good news is that New York already has viable clean-energy sources on which to build, including wind, solar, other renewables and nuclear power.” [New York Post]

This concise description of the energy-water nexus illustrates how water is likely to become an even more critical component of producing energy and burning it to generate power. “Likewise, new energy and fuel production options have become more water intensive. Unconventional oil and gas production methods such as hydraulic fracturing have significant implications for local and regional water quality and quantity. Bioenergy consumes water at various stages of production (including irrigation for crops) and also has impacts on water quality and quantity. In addition, the expansion of nuclear energy and its resultant high-temperature discharge water can significantly affect regional water availability and quality.” [International New York Times]