There is a growing interest in cogeneration of water and power in arid and semi-arid regions around the world. Cogeneration may be achieved by coupling a power plant to a desalination plant in order to extract available waste heat and power to drive thermal as well as membrane-based desalination systems. The attractiveness of hybridizing membrane and thermal desalination plants for the production of freshwater from seawater is seen advantageous. Costs water produced by co-located desalination/power plant complexes has been shown to be as low as 0.50 USD per cubic meter. The option of the unique coupling of green house gas-friendly nuclear power plants to desalination systems is also noted.