Production of energy feedstocks and fuels requires substantial water input for feedstock growth and conversion to fuel. Water requirements are particularly significant in the production of biofuel feedstocks like corn, switchgrass, and agricultural residues. Water management has become a key feature of agricultural practice and energy production processes in recent years. In the present work, we examine the growing issue of water use in energy production by characterizing current water consumption in (1) bioethanol produced from corn and from cellulosic feedstocks (United States), (2) petroleum gasoline (United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia), and (3) the production of electricity from major sources (United States). Water requirements and consumption are evaluated for two major life cycle stages: feedstock farming and feedstock conversion. We analyzed 10 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farming production regions for corn, five Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs) from United States and major production regions from Saudi Arabia for conventional gasoline, major oil sand production regions for oil sand-based gasoline, and state-level production for power generation. Our analysis revealed that the amount of irrigation water used to grow biofuel feedstocks varies significantly from one region to another and that water consumption for biofuel production varies with processing technology. Such variations imply substantial differences in life-cycle water consumption, even within the United States. Since the feedstock recovery and production stages account for a majority of water use, life-cycle results depend largely on locations in which feedstock is stored or grown. In addition, newly proposed energy projects from multiple sectors could further strain local water resources. Our analysis highlights the vital importance of water management during the feedstock production and conversion stages of the fuel life cycle.