On May 30, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced that its Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) released an updated version of an online computer model meant to help bioenergy developers to preserve water. 

Called Water Analysis Tool for Energy Resources (WATER), this online tool provides in-depth analysis of water consumption used in the development of bioenergy. Designed for industry leaders, government, academia, and the general public, WATER provides information for users to make better-informed decisions about what types of feedstocks are most appropriate for use in water-limited areas. WATER is funded by DOE’s EERE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and models all the water available in a region down to county levels.