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Unlocking the energy-water interdependency through bio-augmented treatment of produced water for agricultural re-use and aquifer recharge

The supply and demand for energy and water within the US is increasingly intertwined. Several examples of this include the large volumes of water consumed by hydraulic fracking, the reliance of energy-intensive groundwater pumping in agriculture, and the significant water and powe...

Solander, K., Patelli, P., Gonzalez-Esquer, R., Xu, C., Bower, C., and Kisekka, I.

Hydrotwin: an AI-based physics and optimization framework for improved water resource resilience in systems experiencing adverse events

This white paper focuses on water for energy. As we move ahead into an uncertain future for water resource demand and supply, a massive challenge exists to optimize water systems to be resilient to a range of press/pulse extreme event states and conditions. Optimal decision-makin...

Bennett, K., Schwenk, J., and Garcia, M.

Agentic Optimization for Resilience in Hydropower Reservoir Systems

The growing electricity demand in the U.S. requires a resilient energy strategy. Hydropower is a major component of that strategy but is subject to environmental and human stressors that impact its dependability. AI-driven reinforcement learning, called "Agentic" learning, presen...

Schwenk, J., Garcia-Cardona, C., Bennett, K., Singh, S., and Brelsford, C.

A Multi-Scale Integrated Assessment Model for How Emerging Biotechnologies Can Contribute to Decoupling Energy and Water Systems

Energy-water (EW) systems in the U.S. are deeply interconnected through complex networks vulnerable to disruptions, such as when a regional drought simultaneously impacts hydropower generation, thermoelectric production, and water availability across multiple sectors, producing kn...

Patelli, P., Solander, K., Gonzalez-Esquer, R., Xu, C., Bower, C., Davis, R., Carruthers, J., and Thomas, J.

Advancing Energy-Water Resilience through Integrated Science and Technology for Natural Infrastructure Management

This white paper focuses on water for energy. The challenge is that ecosystems are under increasing stress from rising temperatures, prolonged drought, and intensifying disturbances like wildfire, insects, and land-use change, which can impact the hydrologic capacity of watershed...

Dickman, L., Atchley, A., Giovando, J., Fluet-Chouinard, E., Xu, C., and McPherson, T.

High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) effects on Energy-Water resilience

Executive Order 13865 emphasizes the need to focus on critical infrastructure resilience to high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) effects, indicating that simulation of EMP effects on both energy and water systems need to be studied. The key technical challenges in assessing ...

Tabarez, J., Barnes, A., and Nelson, E.

Distributed Pumped Hydro for Sustainable Energy-Water Resilience with Vertical Agriculture

This white paper focuses on water for energy and energy for water and food security. Pumped Hydro energy storage systems have been utilized for over 100 years to offer many advantages to grid management including long life, high efficiency, low maintenance, dispatchable electrici...

Bibeault, M., Sevanto, S., Hanson, D., and Akil, A.

Maximizing American Energy Dominance with Forecasts of Energy Infrastructure Flood Exposure and AI Predictions of Consequences

This white paper focuses on water for energy. High frequency, reliable, and spatially explicit flood forecasts are necessary to forecast impacts to the energy system from hydrological hazards. While these tools are nearing operation at scale, they have not yet been systematicall...

Brelsford, C., Garcia, M., Robbins, Z., Schwenk, J., and Liu, Y.

Produced Water: A Potential Solution to Achieve America Energy Dominance

Produced water, a significant byproduct of oil and gas extraction, represents an underutilized water resource. However, the high salinity, presence of organics, and scale-forming compounds make it technically challenging to treat. Membrane desalination technologies suffer from fou...

Sharan, P., and Ho, T.