Analyzing water supply in future energy systems using the TIMES Integrated Assessment Model (TIAM-FR)

Even though policies related to water and energy generally dealt with them separately, the two resources are highly interconnected. Energy is required to maintain water supplies while water is essential to produce energy. However, the models developed to estimate future water allocations and energy systems are usually uncorrelated. In order to jointly consider water and energy uses, a water module has been added to the global TIAM-FR prospective energy system model. Water footprints for the processes in terms of withdrawals and consumptions were implemented in the model. This proposed TIAM-FR model shows how water issues are crucial in energy production and can constitute a tool to observe if future energy mixes could be plausible in regards of water availability