Energy Requirements
Historically, the Water Corporation and customers have benefited from relatively low energy solutions. The use of surface water and groundwater sources and gravity to move water and wastewater around the system has helped reduce our energy footprint.
Nonetheless, the Water Corporation is a significant energy user. The Conserve section of this paper highlights existing energy use and strategies to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and demand.
Water services delivery in the future is expected to be much more energy intensive. This is due to a number of factors:
- increasing reliance on desalination, an energy intensive source;
- increasing levels of wastewater treatment, to support more recycling;
- longer distances to transport water and wastewater; and
- the need for more pumping due to increased volumes of water and wastewater.
Current energy policy and direction is highly uncertain at global, National and State levels due to the rapid impact of climate change and the search for new technologies, sources, market and regulatory mechanisms. Planning for energy impacts for the Water Corporation and our customers is very challenging as a result.
Noting these limitations, Water Forever will estimate the increased energy demands expected to support water service delivery in the first planning horizon, to 2020. It will also propose strategies to manage demand and emissions through this period.