Qinghai’s Pumped Hydro Storage Power Station

Via South China Morning Post, a report that China has broken ground on major project that could boost renewable energy production in Gobi Desert: It will be the first pumped storage hydropower station in Qinghai, home to the highest installed clean energy capacity in China The facility is part of a series of projects in […]

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The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Why is Energy so Important for Food and Water Security?

Via RES4Africa Foundation, an article addressing the complexities associated with water, energy and food security on the African continent:Mail  Sustainable development in Africa is a multifaceted challenge, characterised by many moving parts. Among them, the interconnection of water, energy, and food is a key factor that must not be disregarded; consider for a second the complex interplay […]

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Giant Water Battery Will Help Scotland Hit Net Zero

Via EuroNews, a report on a giant water battery inside a mountain which will help Scotland hit net zero: The Scottish government has given the green light to expand a hydro storage plant in the west of the country. Renewable power developer Drax wants to build a new £500 million (€581 million) development in their existing Cruachan facility. Authorities […]

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Revisiting the Water-Energy Nexus for a Changing Climate

Via IPS News, a look at the water-energy nexus in a changing climate: The Colorado river basin has recently been wracked by an extended drought which brought to the fore major concerns regarding hydroelectricity production. Up on the Colorado sits the iconic Hoover Dam, which transforms water into enough electricity to power 1.3 million people in […]

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Can America’s Canals Double as Solar Farms?

Via Canary Media, another look at the potential of putting solar panels over waterways in order to boost clean energy and conserve water: Some 8,000 miles of federally owned canals snake across the United States, channeling water to replenish crops, fuel hydropower plants and supply drinking water to rural communities. In the future, these narrow waterways could serve […]

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Why Aren’t Solar Panels on California Canals More Widespread?

Via CBS, commentary on why aren’t solar panels on California canals more widespread: Back in 2015, California’s dry earth was crunching under a fourth year of drought. Then-Governor Jerry Brown ordered an unprecedented 25% reduction in home water use. Farmers, who use the most water, volunteered too to avoid deeper, mandatory cuts. Brown also set […]

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About This Blog And Its Author
As the scarcity of water and energy continues to grow, the linkage between these two critical resources will become more defined and even more acute in the months ahead.  This blog is committed to analyzing and referencing articles, reports, and interviews that can help unlock the nascent, complex and expanding linkages between water and energy -- The Watergy Nexus -- and will endeavor to provide a central clearinghouse for insightful articles and comments for all to consider.

Educated at Yale University (Bachelor of Arts - History) and Harvard (Master in Public Policy - International Development), Monty Simus has held a lifelong interest in environmental and conservation issues, primarily as they relate to freshwater scarcity, renewable energy, and national park policy.  Working from a water-scarce base in Las Vegas with his wife and son, he is the founder of Water Politics, an organization dedicated to the identification and analysis of geopolitical water issues arising from the world’s growing and vast water deficits, and is also a co-founder of SmartMarkets, an eco-preneurial venture that applies web 2.0 technology and online social networking innovations to motivate energy & water conservation.  He previously worked for an independent power producer in Central Asia; co-authored an article appearing in the Summer 2010 issue of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal, titled: “The Water Ethic: The Inexorable Birth Of A Certain Alienable Right”; and authored an article appearing in the inaugural issue of Johns Hopkins University's Global Water Magazine in July 2010 titled: “H2Own: The Water Ethic and an Equitable Market for the Exchange of Individual Water Efficiency Credits.”