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Along with electricity transmission, virtual water is transferred from electricity generation provinces to load hubs, reallocating spatial water resources and impacting regional water scarcity. To assess whether virtual water in electricity transmission mitigated or aggravated national water scarcity, a rationality assessment model was proposed from energy-water nexus perspective. The interprovincial virtual water flows were calculated based on provincial water intensity and electricity transmission considering the provincial electricity generation mix. The flow rationality index and node rationality index were proposed and defined to evaluate the net benefit of virtual water flows and provinces, respectively, according to the interprovincial differences in water stress index. The results show that: 1) a large amount of virtual water was transferred from the northwest and southwest provinces to the southeast provinces and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region; 2) the flow with the highest flow rationality index is Inner Mongolia-to-Hebei (29.8), while the lowest one is Shanxi-to-Hubei (−102.5); 3) the node with the highest node rationality index is Hebei (32.0), while the lowest one is Shanxi (−104.7). By quantifying the impacts of electricity transmission on provincial and national water stress, this study aims to provide guidance for national virtual water strategy by electricity transmission to mitigate national water scarcity. • Virtual water transfers embodied in China's interprovincial electricity trade is calculated in 2014. • A rationality assessment model is proposed to evaluate whether the water transfers positively or negatively impacts overall water scarcity for a region. • Based rationality assessment model, the rationality index for flows and provinces is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A multi-objective energy-water nexus optimization framework is established. • The provincial economic trade's impact on energy and water stress is quantified. • The economic development level is the key to optimize the resources reallocation. • The rapid trade growth among provinces may aggravate the risk of resource scarcity. With China's vast territory and high regional heterogeneity in the spatial energy and water resources distribution, provincial-level embodied energy (EE) and virtual water (VW) reallocation are critical to regional energy and water recourse management but unfortunately, remain far from completed. In this paper, considering the heterogeneity of energy and water resources endowments among provinces, we constructed a dual objectives optimization framework to minimize national energy stress and water stress. Also, we evaluated the EE and VW flows' synergy impact on mitigating energy and water stress. We found that the spatial resources reallocation has a significant role on mitigating energy and water stress in high-stress regions. The results show that the net energy inflow can increase by 33.5%, and the net water inflow can increase by 42.1% in high-stress regions. The EE and VW flows' impact on mitigating resource stress is affected by the spatial resource endowments' heterogeneity. The flows that have the most positive impact on mitigating regional energy and water stress are Shanxi-Jiangsu and Jiangxi-Shanghai, respectively, while the most negative flows are Jiangsu-Henan and Xinjiang-Heilongjiang, respectively. The EE and VW flows among provinces have synergy in mitigating energy and water stress. Policy makers should not only focus on the local resources' consumption, but on the inter-provincial recourse flow and spatial resource endowments' heterogeneity. Inter-provincial cooperation is recommended, with reducing the scale of EE and VW trade that has negative impact, which can mitigate regional energy and water stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expansion of electric grid has induced increasing stress on regional water resources. Yet, few insights have been gained into the network dynamics of virtual water flows embodied in interprovincial electricity transmission. Here, we calculated the interprovincial transfer of virtual water and virtual scarce water associated with electricity transmissions in China during 2005–2014, considering both thermal power and renewable energies. To track the network dynamics of virtual water, we identified control and dependence relationships between provinces related to exchanging virtual water, using network control analysis. We found that the magnitudes of virtual water and virtual scarce water transferred from western provinces to the rest of China have increased five-fold between 2005 and 2014. The transfers of virtual water exacerbated the water scarcity in northwestern provinces over time, while the transfers between southwestern provinces mitigated the local water scarcity. Southwestern provinces have strong control over the Yangtze River Delta region due to the supply of virtual water in hydroelectricity transmission inbetween. In contrast, the interdependence among northwestern provinces has been strengthened over time. Gansu, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia have become more dominant in controlling the virtual water appropriated by Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and Shandong over this period. We suggest that the dynamics of electricity-induced virtual water transfers across regions be regularly tracked to address water scarcity during constructing power plants and adjusting electricity dispatches. • Virtual water in electricity transmission has increased five-fold between 2005 and 2014. • Thermal power has a greater impact on virtual scarce water than virtual water. • Expansion of renewable energies in power system mitigated water scarcity in China. • The flow of virtual water has been controlled by more regions over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]