The University of California, Berkeley has been chosen by the Energy Department to lead a U.S. consortium tasked to address water-related issues in energy generation and consumption as part of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center.
“Addressing the impact of water resource scarcity and variability on energy systems in the U.S., China and around the world will require collaborative efforts like CERC to develop technical solutions,†Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said Thursday.
The consortium of utility firms, non-profit groups, universities and national laboratories will receive at least $12.5 million in funds to carry out analytical research into treatment of non-traditional waters, climate impact modeling, sustainable hydropower operation and approaches to reduce water consumption at thermoelectric plants.
U.S. consortium members will collaborate with their Chinese counterparts to craft work plans that seek to address CERC’s energy-water track.
President Barack Obama announced the technical track with President Xi Jinping in November 2014.
