Date of Award

Fall 1-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Chemical and Environmental Engineering (ENAS)

First Advisor

Zimmerman, Julie

Abstract

As the global energy sector transitions toward cleaner and more sustainable sources, understanding the interdependencies between energy production and water resources becomes increasingly critical. Water is an essential input across a wide range of energy technologies – both conventional and renewable – impacting not only power generation efficiency but also broader dimensions of environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and resource equity. These interdependencies are central to the water-energy nexus, where decisions about one resource inevitably affect the other. In this context, assessing water-use efficiencies across diverse energy systems offers valuable insights into how societies can optimize resource allocation, minimize ecological impacts, and support long-term energy resilience and water security. The overall objective of this dissertation is to develop strategies for appropriately, effectively, and sustainably allocating resources across competing uses, with a particular focus on life-cycle water use and water-use efficiencies as lenses for decision-making. This research specifically aims to 1) identify temporal and geographical trends of total and sectoral water-use efficiencies (WUEs) in the United States at both national and state levels; 2) evaluate current and future synergies and trade-offs between water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in electricity system transitions through 2050, using life-cycle assessments and probabilistic modeling to capture uncertainties across regional and global contexts, and (3) examines pathways for carbon dioxide utilization, evaluating their potential contributions to sustainable energy transitions while accounting for techno-economic feasibility. The dissertation begins by introducing the fundamental motivations behind assessing water-use efficiencies within the context of clean energy transitions. It outlines the critical role of water resources in sustaining energy production processes across technologies and highlights the pressing need for integrated resource management that consider both environmental boundaries and socio-economic equity. These foundations frame the analysis of how aligning water and carbon goals can yield co-benefits while avoiding unintended trade-offs. Next, historical data are analyzed to illustrate the progress toward a water-efficient economy in the United States between 1985 and 2015, identifying key drivers of changes in water-use efficiencies across economic sectors and regions. This retrospective assessment not only demonstrates the evolution of water productivity but also ucovers persistent disparities between affluent and less affluent states and between water-abundant and water-scarce regions. Building on this foundation, the research explores potential synergies between reductions in water consumption and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in projected transitions to low-carbon electricity systems by 2050. Through life-cycle assessments of electricity generation pathways in the United States, China, and the European countries, the analysis emphasizes the intertwined nature of water and energy in shaping sustainable energy futures. Subsequently, the dissertation examines pathways for carbon dioxide utilization, evaluating their potential to contribute meaningfully to clean energy transitions while balancing environmental, economic, and resource considerations. This analysis highlights opportunities for turning carbon liabilities into assets while acknowledging the water demands and trade-offs of emerging utilization technologies. By situating CO? utilization within the broader water–energy–carbon nexus, the work expands the dialogue beyond emissions reduction alone to consider integrated resource strategies. Finally, the dissertation concludes by synthesizing these insights into strategic recommendations and outlining future directions for research and policy aimed at fostering integrated resource management practices. These practices must that be resilient to uncertainty, equitable across regions and sectors, and aligned with global sustainable development goals. Collectively, this work provides critical perspectives on how to manage water, carbon, and related resources more effectively in an era defined by rapid transitions to clean energy systems. It underscores that sustainable decarbonization will require not only technology innovation but also systemic approaches that simultaneously safeguard water resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure equitable development outcomes.

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