Category: ARTICLES_NC2019 En_Ren_Solar_MN En_Ren_Wind_MN

A recent study, led by Princeton University and published last week in Nature Communications, is one of the first of its kind to show that increased use of solar and wind energy can aid groundwater sustainability, an important aim for both taking on droughts as well as boosting sustainable agriculture. While the researchers used California as a case study, the findings could also apply to states like Texas and other countries that are trying to balance groundwater depletion, drought and agricultural output.

The storage, transport and delivery of water for agricultural, residential, and commercial needs have significant energy and greenhouse gas implications. The Water-Energy Team of the Climate Action Team (WET-CAT) is tasked with coordinating efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the energy intensity of water use, and with coordinating how such efforts to reduce the energy intensity of water use can help with efforts to address potential climate change impacts to water.

Groundwater is a valuable resource both in the United States and throughout the world. Groundwater depletion, a term often defined as long-term water-level declines caused by sustained groundwater pumping, is a key issue associated with groundwater use. Many areas of the United States are experiencing groundwater depletion.