PACE Connects Water and Energy at Conferences

When it comes to electricity generation, water use has taken on increasing importance in recent years. Policy makers are beginning to pay greater attention to the connection between water use and the power sector. PACE has followed this issue closely and has spoken regularly to stakeholders on the topic.

On Tuesday, PACE Executive Director Lance Brown presented to the 50th Annual Meeting of the Tennessee River Valley Association. Held in Nashville, the conference brings together stakeholders along the Tennessee River. The group’s executive director, Cline Jones, currently serves as the Chairman of the PACE Board of Directors, underscoring the role that waterways groups have played in PACE’s advocacy. Among PACE’s institutional partners is the Coalition of Alabama Waterways Associations.

At the conference, Brown spoke about current federal regulations that affect electricity generation and that ultimately affect energy commerce along the Tennessee River. Of particular interest is the status of the Clean Power Plan, which continues to threaten the use of coal by utilities such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

On Wednesday, Brown continued his focus on water by speaking to the 3rd Annual Water Management and Economics Conference, hosted by the Troy University Center for Water Resource Economics. The conference’s theme was “Building Sustainable Bridges”.

“PACE continues to play an important role in educating the public and policy makers about the connection between energy policy and water use,” explains Billy Houston, Executive Director of the Tri-Rivers Waterway Development Association. “The presentation was informative and well-received by attendees.”

Other speakers at the 3rd Annual Water Management and Economics Conference included Dr. Bennett Bearden, Director of Water Policy and Law Institute at the University of Alabama; Dr. Nick Tew, Chairman of the Alabama Water Agencies Working Group; Dr. Gail Cowie, Assistant Branch Chief of the Watershed Protection Branch at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division; Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor of Troy University; Wynn Fuller, Chief of the Operations Division Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Bobby Moore, Operations Project Manager of the ACF Rivers Project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Matthew Montz, Environmental Licensing Supervisor of Nuclear Development Affairs for Southern Nuclear Operating Company; and Betty Webb, Executive Director of RiverWay South.