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Capturing synergies between water conservation and carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector

Electricity generation from thermoelectric power plants is inextricably linked to water resources at nearly all stages in the power production cycle, yet this critical constraint has been largely overlooked in policy and planning. While this assumption suggests that water is inexpensive and abundant, global water resources are increasingly strained by economic development, population growth, and climate change. As demand increases, competition for limited water resources among the agricultural, industrial, municipal, and electric power sectors threatens to become acute in several global regions.