Case study: Driving innovation for water resilience in Nevada
SRI’s Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy (CISP) delivered a strategic framework that informed key water-related economic development legislation in Nevada and spurred new investments in water technology.
“We were pleased to see the report’s recommendations around abatements, economic development, and water use and impact inform a bill that the Nevada Legislature passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.”
Jacob Gottlieb, Project Leader,
Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy
CHALLENGE
Amid warming temperatures, decreased flows in the Colorado River, and declining water levels in key water basins, the State of Nevada is pursuing new water strategies to ensure a vibrant future for the state’s people and economy. The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) engaged SRI’s Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy (CISP) and WaterStart (a nonprofit that funds and pilots water-related technology innovations) to align water resource goals with economic development incentives and innovation policy.
SOLUTION
SRI and WaterStart engaged numerous stakeholders (including city governments, utilities, industry groups, academics, nonprofits, and water districts) to craft Building a Waterwise Economy, a “waterwise” economic framework for the state. The framework not only addressed water scarcity and conservation but also addressed critical factors like water-related workforce development; barriers to funding, siting, and piloting promising water-tech innovations; and opportunities to build the state’s reputation as a global leader in water resource management. For example, acknowledging differing opportunities and challenges across the state and industries, the report recommends creating more rural testbed space for water technologies as well as identifying opportunities for use/reuse of byproducts, like brine, created by water-intensive industries.
IMPACT
In addition to providing the state with a comprehensive strategy to align water management and economic growth, the framework informed new tax abatement legislation and led to a new funding stream for water technology innovation. Assembly Bill 594 was crafted, in part, based on the recommendation to consider water use and impact before economic development incentives are offered. After the release of the report, GOED provided $1.8 million in state and federal funding to WaterStart to continue pursuing water resilience initiatives, including supporting workforce development and expanding its Water Technology Pilot Program. WaterStart’s Technology Pilot Program recruits water technology companies and co-funds the pilot implementation of water innovations at utilities and businesses in Nevada, with the ultimate goal of vetting technologies to be incentivized for further implementation across the state.
OUR EXPERTS
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Christiana K. McFarland
Executive Director, Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy
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Jacob Gottlieb
Project Leader, Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy (CISP)