2012 NGWA Ground Water Summit: Innovate and Integrate

This session will explore the challenges, impacts on, and importance of groundwater for the production of energy. Ever increasing demand for energy combined with increasing demand for water in a water-short world represents a growing concern. Water is a critical requirement for the production of energy in our society, whether it is from conventional petroleum hydrocarbons, non-conventional hydrocarbons, nuclear, geothermal, biofuels, or hydroelectric. For example, groundwater production, control and/or treatment is required during the extraction of coal bed methane, oil and gas, coal, oil sands and shale gas; ethanol production from corn may increase irrigation and nonpoint impacts; groundwater quality can be affected. Our energy infrastructure depends on the availability of water and future energy-water conflicts can be anticipated to increase.