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K-State Today

April 4, 2019

Kristen Averyt presents Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture Series seminar on April 15

Submitted by Angelina Butler

Kristen Averyt, president of Desert Research Institute and policy fellow of the American Meteorological Society, will present a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture Series seminar at 4 p.m. Monday, April 15, in Frick Auditorium at Mosier Hall. The title of her presentation is "Climate and the Energy-Water Nexus."

Following the seminar will be a student poster session beginning at 5 p.m. outside of Frick Auditorium. Students interested in participating in the poster session may contact Saugata Datta at sdatta@k-state.edu

Abstract: Energy production requires water, and water treatment and distribution require energy. In recent years, the United States has seen collisions at this energy-water nexus, where insufficient resources in one sector impact the reliability of the other. Further, climate change and population growth are beginning to impact the supply and demand balance for both energy and water resources, creating additional difficulties. As the challenges of rising temperatures, declining water availability, drought, growing energy demands and escalating water needs shift the connections at energy and water, it becomes clear that solutions to each problem must consider cascading effects on the others. This seminar will outline the core concepts of the energy-water nexus, and how this issue has manifest in different parts of the United States, and recent research evaluating U.S. electricity system optimization under different climate conditions.