K-State's 20th annual Dialog on Sustainability will focus on the electricity grid

By Hannah Craig

Center for Hazardous Substance Research

The Consortium for Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability at Kansas State University and its partners will host the 20th Annual Dialog on Sustainability: Sustainable Grid Infrastructure, on Saturday, July 19, 2025, from 9 to 11a.m.

This year's dialog will focus on maintaining a stable electric grid powered primarily by renewable energy, especially during peak demand periods.

Key discussion points include:

• Integrating battery storage to manage peak loads.
• Strategically using renewables for battery charging and hydrogen production.
• Leveraging battery swapping to optimize charging during periods of high renewable availability.
• Using batteries as distributed energy resources to support grid stability.
• Addressing increased winter demand from electrified heating systems like heat pumps.
• Emphasizing the need for a resilient, flexible grid to ensure reliability year-round.

The featured speaker will be Hongyu Wu, professor of electrical engineering in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering and a university outstanding scholar. Wu's research has focused on applying systems engineering approaches to emerging technical challenges in electric power systems, including the integration of renewable energy into the electric grid.

Other speakers include Dorothy Barnett, executive director of the Climate + Energy Project; Zack Pistora, director of the Kansas Chapter of the Sierra Club; and various K-State experts leading sustainability-related research.

"The goal is to have a grid powered most of the time by 100% renewable energy and have zero greenhouse gas emissions from the grid," said Larry Erickson, a professor of chemical engineering who has provided leadership for the dialog. "These dialogs connect community members, students, professionals and faculty to engage in meaningful conversations and share actionable ideas around sustainability and sustainable development."

Those interested in the free virtual dialog may register online. A recording of the webinar will be posted online after the discussion.

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