ABSTRACT
In the US, the interdependent relationship between water and energy, known as the water–energy nexus (WEN), has become a salient policy issue at the federal, local and regional level. Water demand from the energy sector is growing at a faster rate than competing uses such as potable water and agricultural production (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), 2016). Moreover, recent technological advances enabling unconventional oil and gas (O&G) development “ha[ve] added complexity to the national dialogue on the relationship between energy and water resources” (DOE, 2014).
