Energy and Water Research Integration Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to integrate water considerations into energy research, development, and demonstration programs and projects of the Department of Energy (DOE), to: (1) advance energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices that meet the objectives of minimizing freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increasing water use efficiency, and utilizing nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve the quality of water from those sources; (2) consider the effects climate variability and change may have on water supplies and quality for energy generation and fuel production; and (3) improve understanding of the energy required to provide reliable water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the United States (energy-water nexus). Requires the Secretary to develop, submit to Congress within nine months, and update every three years a Strategic Plan identifying the research, development, and demonstration needs of such programs and projects.
Requires the Secretary, in developing such Plan, to consider and incorporate relevant information and recommendations, including those of the National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program.
Directs the Secretary, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data collection, reporting, and technological innovation. Requires the Council to: (1) make recommendations on the development of data collection and communication standards and protocols to agencies and entities currently engaged in collecting the data for the energy-water nexus, (2) recommend ways to make improvements to federal water use data to increase understanding of trends in energy generation and fuel production, (3) recommend best practices for utilizing information from existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform water and energy use and infrastructure data, and (4) conduct annual technical workshops to facilitate information exchange among experts on technologies that encourage the conservation and efficient use of water and energy.
Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to require state, tribal, or local governments to take any action that may result in an increased financial burden by restricting their water use.