Water-Energy Subgroup
Climate Action Team Links
Water-Energy (WET-CAT) Subgroup of the Climate Action Team
The Water-Energy (WET-CAT) Subgroup of the Climate Action Team is tasked with coordinating the study of greenhouse gas effects on California's water supply system.
Under leadership of the Department of Water Resources, state agencies will assess the greenhouse gas effects and reductions arising out of water supply development alternatives, including water recycling and conservation.
"WET-CAT" is co-chaired by State Water Reources Control Board Member Frances Spivy-Weber and Department of Water Resources Deputy Director Mark Cowin.
Since the adoption of the AB 32 Scoping Plan, the WETCAT agencies have been working on implementation and analyses. Below are the webpages associated with implementation activities with the Scoping Plan. There are six measures in the Scoping Plan.
- (W-1) Water Use Efficiency
- (W-2) Water Recycling
- (W-3) Water System Energy Efficiency
- (W-4) Reuse Urban Runoff
- (W-5) Increase Renewable Energy Production
- (W-6) Public Goods Charge for Water
Several efforts are underway by the WETCAT agencies to implement these measures.
- Investigating water end use efficiency improvements, the California Energy Commission has opened a proceeding on setting standards for landscape irrigation equipment. www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/irrigation/
- The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is investigating the 20 percent reduction in per capita consumption of water by 2020. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/hot_topics/20x2020/index.shtml
- And the SWRCB are looking into recycled water development: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/water_recycling_policy/index.shtml
- Water infrastructure in-system improvements are being handled by the Energy Commission through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/recovery/blockgrant.html and through it Process Energy Office that assists indsutrial facilities use energy (and water) more efficiently: http://www.energy.ca.gov/process/water/index.html.
- Thge Energy Commission is also involved in increasing renewable energy production and combined heat and power (CHP) development as part of the 2009 Intergrated Energy Policy Report proceeding. Workshops on renewable and CHP are coming up in that proceeding: http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009_energypolicy/
- The SWRCB is also investigating reuse of urban runoff: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/low_impact_development/index.shtml
Background Materials
- Overview of Climate Action Team and WET-CAT, presentation by Lorraine White, California Energy Commission, March 25, 2008. (PDF file, 8 pages, 40 kb)
- Proposed WETCAT Strategies and Measures, March 25, 2008. (PDF file, 5 pages, 32 kb)
- Progress on Incorporating Climate Change Into Management of California Water Resources, Technical Memorandum Report by California Department of Water Resources. Posted:July 11, 2006. (Acrobat PDF file, 338 pages, 7.6 megabytes)