摘要
Welfare and green growth rest heavily on an appropriate supply of safe water, the provision of adequate sewerage, and on energy services. These services are interdependent, as water is an integral part of electric-power generation; it is used directly in hydroelectric generation, and it is used extensively for cooling and emissions scrubbing in thermoelectric generation. Energy is also an integrated part of water services, as satisfying water needs for supply, purification, distribution, and treatment of wastewater requires energy sources. Water and energy utilities are however regulated without a specific focus on the interdependency of the two sectors and the possibilities to ensure sustainable use of the resources and reduction of greenhouse gasses by a better coordination. The article explains the possibilities of sustainable consumption and production of energy in the water utilities. It highlights EU legal framework that makes coordination at national level possible, and it gives examples and concludes--on the obstacles for the water utilities＇ future as energy-smart utilities that exist at the national level in Denmark.
