Study: Nexus of energy, water, and climate

(MIT, November 15, 2013)

A new study at MIT focused on the question, how the decision what energy source is preferred, depends on the different needs that are applied. Associate professor of engineering systems Mort Webster studied electricity generation in the year 2050 under three different scenarios: purely cost-based choices; with a requirement for a 75 percent reduction in carbon emissions; or with a combined requirement for emissions reduction and a 50 percent reduction in water use. To deal with the large uncertainties in many projections, Webster and his co-authors used a mathematical simulation in which they tried 1,000 different possibilities for each of the three scenarios. It turns out, that variation of the needs leads to a very different set of choices. The study makes clear that it is crucial to examine these needs together before making decisions about investments in new energy infrastructure.