Which statement best defines the water footprint of energy production?

• A. The total freshwater used or polluted across the energy supply chain, including cooling, processing, and irrigation for bioenergy.
• B. Only water used for hydroelectric generation.
• C. Only water vapor emitted.
• D. Water footprint is the price of water rights.

Answer: (A)

Water footprint for energy production is about all the freshwater that is used and polluted across the whole energy life cycle. This means water drawn for cooling power plants, water used in processing fuels, and water used to irrigate crops for bioenergy, plus the pollution that results from these processes. It isn’t limited to one technology like hydroelectricity, nor is it about water vapor or the price of water rights. The idea is to capture both how much water is used and how water quality is affected by energy production across every step of the supply chain.