Top 10 Choke Point: US Stories
- In Solar Power Lies Path to Reducing Water Use For Energy
- Water Demand is Flash Point in Dakota Oil Boom
- Tar Sands Oil Production, An Industrial Bonanza, Poses Major Water Use Challenges
- Michigan’s New Natural Gas Rush: Energy and Water in Play
- Low Water May Halt Hoover Dam’s Power
- EPA and State Department Square Off On Tar Sands Pipeline
- In Era of Climate Change and Water Scarcity, Meeting National Energy Demand Confronts Major Impediments
- Biofuels that Save Water and Land
- Pipeline Ties Detroit Refinery to “Dirtiest Source of Fossil Fuels”
- Visions of Solar Energy’s Future Compete in Colorado’s San Luis Valley
Recent Choke Point: US Stories
- Report: Half of U.S. Fracking Wells Drilled in Highly Water-stressed Regions
- Study: Shale Gas Fracking Taints Rivers in Pennsylvania
- Peter Gleick: The Keystone XL Pipeline — Red Herring, Symbol, or a Piece of a Puzzle?
- Nebraska Farmers Dismayed by Governor's Endorsement of New Oil Pipeline Route
- Amid Roaring Demand, A U.S. City Plans to Triple Water Rates for Oil and Gas Customers
Top 10 Waternews Stories
- In Solar Power Lies Path to Reducing Water Use For Energy
- Infographic: 10 Things You Should Know About Water
- The Price of Water: A Comparison of Water Rates, Usage in 30 U.S. Cities
- Experts Name the Top 19 Solutions to the Global Freshwater Crisis
- Choke Point: China - Confronting Water Scarcity and Energy Demand in the World’s Largest Country
- Choke Point: China
- China, Tibet, and the Strategic Power of Water
- U.S. Faces Era Of Water Scarcity
- Google Brings Water Data to Life
- Water Demand is Flash Point in Dakota Oil Boom
No Clear Path for Energy Policy in Great Lakes States
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania governments struggle with climate change, budgets, and changing markets.
Exxon and Imperial Oil Forced To Go Around Sensitive Idaho River Valley
Push-back on the transportation of tar sands equipment through a wilderness corridor reflects civic resistance to North American fossil fuel boom.
Fossil Fuel Boom Shakes Ohio, Spurring Torrent of Investment and Worry Over Water
Ohio’s shale oil and gas fortunes point up. By Keith Schneider and Codi Yeager Circle of Blue Photo © Codi Yeager/Circle of Blue The site of a proposed $US 3 billion natural-gas-to-liquids plant near Wellsville, Ohio, heralds what many say is the state’s most significant investment in oil and gas development in decades. But the [...]
Visions of Solar Energy’s Future Compete in Colorado’s San Luis Valley
The U.S. government is in the process of designating more than 6,000 hectacres of federal land for solar energy development. As companies line up to submit projects, some valley residents are questioning the centralized model of energy generation and are, instead, trying to shape an independent energy future.
State of the Union: New Economics of Energy Production Tilts Obama’s “All-of-the-Above” Strategy One Way
In the era of deficit and disinvestment, water-intensive fossil fuel production is overwhelming the water-sipping clean energy sector.
Pacific Institute Report: Setbacks and Solutions of Water-Energy Clash in U.S. Intermountain West
At the forefront of a national trend, this region is already suffering from intense conflicts that willy only worsen with climate change and population growth. However, the report also highlights several ways to dramatically reduce the water requirements for electricity generation.
EIA Report: Global Energy Use To Grow 50 Percent by 2035 — Half of Increase from Fossil Fuels in China and India
The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently published its annual report on global energy projections. Though renewable energy sources and nuclear power, along with unconventional fossil fuels, will phase out coal production over the next two decades, it will not be at the pace necessary to offset greenhouse gas emissions
Coal Conversion in the Rust Belt: Will It Be a Diamond for Small Ohio River Town?
An energy company has plans to withdraw water from the Ohio River, the potential site for a coal-to-liquid fuels conversion plant, which would be the first of its kind in the United States and the sixth in the world. Though it will bring jobs to the region, the proposal is facing strong opposition from environmental groups.
FOIA Lawsuit Seeks Release of U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘Water-Energy Roadmap’
The report, one of two ordered by Congress on water and energy, has been delayed for years.
Double Choke Point: Demand for Energy Tests Water Supply and Economic Stability in China and the U.S.
The cords of energy demand and water supply are tightening around the world's two largest economies.
EPA and Halliburton Skirmish — Promises of Safer Fracking Fluid
After denying EPA disclosure request, Halliburton promises safer fracking fluid and more disclosure.
The Rising Cost of Settling the American Desert
Power plant that moves torrent of water uphill considers closing
Low Water May Halt Hoover Dam’s Power
What happens if Lake Mead drops too low to generate electricity at Hoover Dam?
In Era of Climate Change and Water Scarcity, Meeting National Energy Demand Confronts Major Impediments
The pursuit of energy development development reveal gaps in policymaking.
Water Demand is Flash Point in Dakota Oil Boom
Production from the Bakken Shale is projected to use up to 5.5 billion gallons of water annually.
Infographic: Three Types of Coal Mining — Process and Facts
Opencast mining involves scraping at the ground's surface, while room and pillar mining occurs below ground. Likewise, longwall mining uses heavy machinery to dig at coal seams beneath the surface: learn more in this interactive inforgraphic.
Infographic: Test Your Knowledge with the Water and Energy Quiz
Think you know all there is to know about the intersection between water and energy? Take the Choke Point: US quiz to find out.
Infographic: Biofuels 101 — Water Use from Plant to Power Source
Production of ethanol, the most commonly used biofuel, has prompted concerns about water use and food supply.
Infographic: Energy Used in the Water Cycle
At eight pounds per gallon, water is a heavy substance; especially when utilities move billions of gallons per day.
Infographic: Hoover Dam’s Troubled Waters
Completed in 1935, Hoover Dam supplies electricity to 29 million people in Arizona, California and Nevada.
Infographic: A Closer Look at Tar Sands Oil
185 gallons of water + two tons of soil + 700-1200 cubic feet of natural gas = one barrel of crude oil.
Infographic: U.S. Power Sources
Producing electricity region to region.
Infographic: State Legislatures Bridge Water-Energy Gap
A look at 16 states with statutes that acknowledge the tightening chokepoint between declining water resources and rising energy demand.
Infographic: 10 Things You Should Know about Water + Energy
A survey of key water facts behind traditional and alternative energy sources.
Infographic: North Dakota’s Rise To Domestic Oil Royalty
North Dakota has become the number four oil producing state—but at what cost to its water supply?
Photo Slideshow: Tar Sands Oil Refinery Burdens a Detroit Community
Residents face the environmental and health consequences of a Marathon refinery expansion.
Photo Slideshow: A Desperate Clinch — Coal Production Across America
A look at the places and faces affected by coal production in the United States.
Infographic: Tripling Tar Sands Oil Imports, Pipeline and Refinery Map from Canada to U.S.
The industry is spending billions of dollars to develop more U.S. pipelines.
Infographic: Coal and Water – A Resource Mismatch
The contest between coal-fired energy production and water demand is a mismatch.
Interactive Map: Top Ten Global Oil Spills
Details of the ten worst oil spills in history by volume, date, location, and company damages.
Peter Gleick: The Keystone XL Pipeline — Red Herring, Symbol, or a Piece of a Puzzle?
It is time we just said “no.”
Nebraska Farmers Dismayed by Governor’s Endorsement of New Oil Pipeline Route
Despite a new route, farmers still worry about groundwater contamination and property rights.
Exxon and Imperial Oil Forced To Go Around Sensitive Idaho River Valley
Push-back on the transportation of tar sands equipment through a wilderness corridor reflects civic resistance to North American fossil fuel boom.
Q&A: Subir Bhattacharjee on the Geopolitics of Oil and Alberta’s Tar Sands
Subir Bhattacharjee — a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta and one of Canada’s top water quality experts — tells Circle of Blue about the water cycle of the tar sands while he attends a high-level conference in Alberta, Canada.
Keystone XL Closer After U.S. House Vote
The proposed pipeline could be approved on a much shorter timeline than was laid out by President Barack Obama, after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday giving approval power for the project to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Senate has not yet considered the bill.
Connected by Pipeline from Canada, Tar Sands Represents Bonus and Risk to Great Lakes
Transporting and processing corrosive crude raise new questions about consequences.
Obama Administration to Reject Keystone XL Pipeline
However, the company building the pipeline will be invited to re-appl,y after finding a new route through Nebraska, according to a government official.
U.S. House Passes Bill to Accelerate Decision on Tar Sands Keystone XL Pipeline
If the Republican-sponsored bill passes the Democrat-controlled Senate, the final decision could come by the beginning of November.
South of the Border—Second Environmental Review of Tar Sands Pipeline Leaves Many Groups Unsatisfied
Residents and lawmakers in Nebraska mull their options for protecting key groundwater sources.
Infographic: A Closer Look at Tar Sands Oil
185 gallons of water + two tons of soil + 700-1200 cubic feet of natural gas = one barrel of crude oil.
Photo Slideshow: Tar Sands Oil Refinery Burdens a Detroit Community
Residents face the environmental and health consequences of a Marathon refinery expansion.
Scene of Midwest’s Worst Oil Spill – Sleepless Nights and Black Goo
Students examine communities affected by Enbridge rupture on Kalamzoo River.
Infographic: Tripling Tar Sands Oil Imports, Pipeline and Refinery Map from Canada to U.S.
The industry is spending billions of dollars to develop more U.S. pipelines.
A Midwest Pipeline Rupture Raises Questions About Tar Sands Risk
Enbridge is working overtime to clean up the spill, placate the community, and get oil flowing again.
EPA and State Department Square Off On Tar Sands Pipeline
Water use and greenhouse gas emissions are major concerns with oil interests plays.
Supreme Court Ruling Tests Boundaries of Water Supply and Energy Production Along Montana-Wyoming Border
Montana and Wyoming have taken their transboundary water dispute to the Supreme Court. Wyoming won the first round. But others await in a case that will help decide how much water is really available to generate energy and to produce food in one of the nation’s driest regions, as well as who has access to that water.
Coal Conversion in the Rust Belt: Will It Be a Diamond for Small Ohio River Town?
An energy company has plans to withdraw water from the Ohio River, the potential site for a coal-to-liquid fuels conversion plant, which would be the first of its kind in the United States and the sixth in the world. Though it will bring jobs to the region, the proposal is facing strong opposition from environmental groups.
Water Pollution Solution — New York Experiments with Coal Tar “Sponges” in Hudson River
Testing new methods to remove residual coal tar from riverbeds in New York.
Coal Ash Contaminates Groundwater and Drinking Water Sites in 21 States, Study Finds
The EPA must do a better job of regulating the waste and protecting the nation’s water supply.
Photo Slideshow: A Desperate Clinch — Coal Production Across America
A look at the places and faces affected by coal production in the United States.
Infographic: Coal and Water – A Resource Mismatch
The contest between coal-fired energy production and water demand is a mismatch.
Video: Toxic Coal Ash Town in Indiana
A small Indiana town is slated for cleanup as an EPA Alternative Superfund Site.
Q&A: Jennifer Turner on Water Challenges for Growing China
"China is a very energy hungry country, so it’s not surprising that they are damming the rivers."
Race to the Finish: Coal Run Receives Water, City and County Plan to Appeal
Coal Run, a community denied water on allegedly racial grounds, can now turn on the tap at will.
Report: Half of U.S. Fracking Wells Drilled in Highly Water-stressed Regions
Energy companies should provide better data on fracking water use, and investors should push for quantifiable water targets, according to a sustainable investing advocacy group. Image courtesy of Ceres Hydraulically fractured shale regions are outlined in black and overlaid onto a map of U.S. river basins coded by water risk according to the World Resources [...]
Study: Shale Gas Fracking Taints Rivers in Pennsylvania
Though groundwater gets most of the attention, rivers are also affected by the rush of shale gas development across the United States, according to a new study that claims both wastewater and well development degrade water quality, but in different ways.
Amid Roaring Demand, A U.S. City Plans to Triple Water Rates for Oil and Gas Customers
The recent oil and gas boom in the United States has been good business for the Carlsbad, New Mexico water department. Perhaps too good. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson In March 2012 President Barack Obama visited oil fields near Maljamar, New Mexico, where the city of Carlsbad owns and operates a water system [...]
Clean Energy Picture Dramatically Changed For Midwest, As U.S. Fossil Energy Boom Gathers Steam
With the price of natural gas falling thanks to innovating drilling solutions in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, investments in water-sipping energy models like wind and solar have dried up.
Fossil Fuel Boom Shakes Ohio, Spurring Torrent of Investment and Worry Over Water
Ohio’s shale oil and gas fortunes point up. By Keith Schneider and Codi Yeager Circle of Blue Photo © Codi Yeager/Circle of Blue The site of a proposed $US 3 billion natural-gas-to-liquids plant near Wellsville, Ohio, heralds what many say is the state’s most significant investment in oil and gas development in decades. But the [...]
Supreme Court Ruling Tests Boundaries of Water Supply and Energy Production Along Montana-Wyoming Border
Montana and Wyoming have taken their transboundary water dispute to the Supreme Court. Wyoming won the first round. But others await in a case that will help decide how much water is really available to generate energy and to produce food in one of the nation’s driest regions, as well as who has access to that water.
EPA and Halliburton Skirmish — Promises of Safer Fracking Fluid
After denying EPA disclosure request, Halliburton promises safer fracking fluid and more disclosure.
“Typical” Michigan Oil and Gas Lease Auction Casts Doubt on Collingwood Shale Formation
Earlier auction that set state records prompted projections of a new natural gas boom.
Government Warns Against Contaminated Water in Wyoming Town
Freshwater wells deemed unsafe because of hydrocarbons.
Fracking Regulations Vary Widely from State to State
A look at how states across America are facing deep frack dilemmas.
Michigan Says It’s Ready For Next Drilling Boom
“Fracking” is the injection of water and chemicals to rupture deep shale and release natural gas.
EPA Announces Study to Re-Examine the Health Risks of Hydrofracking
States have begun implementing stricter standards for the controversial natural gas drilling process.
Michigan’s New Natural Gas Rush: Energy and Water in Play
Unprecedented mineral leasing could be big for energy production and hydraulic fracturing.
Natural Gas Found in Aral Sea’s Dry Bed
Test wells produce the first significant volumes of gas, confirming speculation about gas reserves in the region.
Where Energy Development Puts Rivers at Risk
American Rivers’ annual tally of threatened rivers highlights effects of drilling for natural gas.
Alaska Governor Authorizes $4.5 Billion Dam Project
Throughout many parts of the United States, old dams are being removed. But in Alaska, the state legislature and the governor want to build what would be one of the nation’s tallest hydroelectric facilities. If built, the 200-meter dam on the Susitna River would be the nation’s fifth tallest.
Colorado River Basin Group Releases Supply Assessment: Bureau of Reclamation Uses Climate Data to Predict 9 Percent Decline in Flow
The interim report is the first step in a two-year evaluation of the Colorado River Basin. Photo courtesy Bureau of Reclamation. By Brett Walton Circle of Blue The mean annual flow from the upper basin of the Colorado River will decrease 9 percent by mid-century, according to one water supply projection from an interim report [...]
Low Water May Halt Hoover Dam’s Power
What happens if Lake Mead drops too low to generate electricity at Hoover Dam?
Where Energy Development Puts Rivers at Risk
American Rivers’ annual tally of threatened rivers highlights effects of drilling for natural gas.
Climate Change To Heighten International Tensions Over Freshwater Resources
Growing supply and demand gaps.
California Report: In Dry Times, Deep Reservoir of Water Solutions
New report highlights possible solutions to state's water shortages
Amid Roaring Demand, A U.S. City Plans to Triple Water Rates for Oil and Gas Customers
The recent oil and gas boom in the United States has been good business for the Carlsbad, New Mexico water department. Perhaps too good. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson In March 2012 President Barack Obama visited oil fields near Maljamar, New Mexico, where the city of Carlsbad owns and operates a water system [...]
Infographic: North Dakota’s Rise To Domestic Oil Royalty
North Dakota has become the number four oil producing state—but at what cost to its water supply?
Water Demand is Flash Point in Dakota Oil Boom
Production from the Bakken Shale is projected to use up to 5.5 billion gallons of water annually.
Interactive Map: Top Ten Global Oil Spills
Details of the ten worst oil spills in history by volume, date, location, and company damages.
Q&A: ‘Crude’ Director Joe Berlinger on Chevron Oil in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Featuring Live Earth, Vanity Fair cover, and a CNN Hero Award.
Clean Energy Picture Dramatically Changed For Midwest, As U.S. Fossil Energy Boom Gathers Steam
With the price of natural gas falling thanks to innovating drilling solutions in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, investments in water-sipping energy models like wind and solar have dried up.
Economics and Water Concerns Alter the Solar Landscape in the US West
The falling price of photovoltaic panels and public concerns about aquifers and rivers in the western United States are boosting solar energy technologies that save water. In December, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) approved a 300-megawatt (MW) solar energy project on public land in southwestern Arizona on condition that the developer changes the [...]
Visions of Solar Energy’s Future Compete in Colorado’s San Luis Valley
The U.S. government is in the process of designating more than 6,000 hectacres of federal land for solar energy development. As companies line up to submit projects, some valley residents are questioning the centralized model of energy generation and are, instead, trying to shape an independent energy future.
State of the Union: New Economics of Energy Production Tilts Obama’s “All-of-the-Above” Strategy One Way
In the era of deficit and disinvestment, water-intensive fossil fuel production is overwhelming the water-sipping clean energy sector.
EPA Releases Draft Assessment of Environmental Effects of Biofuels
Preliminary report describes an infant cellulosic biofuels industry with a mandate to grow up fast.
Infographic: Biofuels 101 — Water Use from Plant to Power Source
Production of ethanol, the most commonly used biofuel, has prompted concerns about water use and food supply.
Low Water May Halt Hoover Dam’s Power
What happens if Lake Mead drops too low to generate electricity at Hoover Dam?
Infographic: Water Use Per Mile Driven — Biofuels vs. Fossil Fuels
A breakdown of gallons of water used by transportation fuels per mile.
In Solar Power Lies Path to Reducing Water Use For Energy
California’s latest proposed desert solar power plant could compromise desert habitat.
Biofuels that Save Water and Land
Flushing For Fuel: Wastewater grows energy-rich plants and algae.
The Rising Cost of Settling the American Desert
Power plant that moves torrent of water uphill considers closing
Infographic: U.S. Power Sources
Producing electricity region to region.
Water Scarcity Prompts Different Plans to Reckon With U.S. Energy Choke Point
Southeast could learn from Southwest
Thermal Power Stations Need Makeover
Utilities feel pressure from more users and less water.
