ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the questions of how much water is involved in the production of different forms of energy and how people can move towards a fossil-free society without increasing the water footprint of the energy sector. It presents the water footprint of bioenergy, because this type of energy has been much promoted as a replacement of fossil energy, but it has an incredibly large water footprint per unit of energy. The chapter discusses first- and next-generation biofuels, as well as firewood and bioelectricity. It describes hydropower, because this is the water consumer and the water needed for energy from a range of other sources, starting with those of the – coal, oil, gas and nuclear – followed by those of the future – solar, wind and geothermal energy. The chapter concludes with a reflection on how people can harmonize energy and water policies in such a way that they reduce both our carbon and water footprint.
