What is involved in transitioning from the sorts of big, centralized power plants and adequate grid infrastructure that have been installed, expanded and developed over decades, to digitized and decentralized generation units and grids increasingly fueled by renewables? The members of Merseburg University of Applied Sciences’ recently formed Energy: Digital & Decentralized Research Group explore this very question. As an interdisciplinary collective composed of social scientists, engineers, and computer scientists we wish to invite scholars, irrespective of disciplinary background, who are interested in the topic to participate in our Autumn 2025 conference, At the Intersection.

Grids are complex technological systems that originated in the late 19^th century to convey electricity. Initially the electricity fueled telegraphs for long-distance communication and bulbs whose filaments radiated light and caused the inky blackness of night to recede. However, over time the significance of grids grew explosively, serving industry, transport and households. They have become an infrastructure of paramount importance. Grids both fueled industrial growth and reconfigured social relations. However, these vast energy delivery systems have been consequential in a variety of other ways as well. Foremost among them is the impact of their fuel sources. Industrialized nation’s reliance on fossil fuels to power grids has wrought havoc on our biosphere. As temperatures continue to rise, and weather becomes less predictable various international agreements have been signed with the intention of slowing anthropogenic global warming’s deleterious effects. These accords require an eventual abandonment of fossil fuels in favor of various forms of renewable energy.

The replacement of fossil fuels with renewables represents a significant challenge to grids and operation of electric power plants. These power sources are not centralized and, furthermore, their intermittent nature means any grid they supply requires careful attention and management. Given such qualities it is clear we are talking about technological (re)development, information-technological (re)design, and ethical and societal (re)considerations. In other words, digitization of the grid and production units creates a new socio-technical regime. Yet, this shift has also a multitude of technological and computing challenges and innumerable social puzzles to resolve. It thus provides ample opportunities for interdisciplinary conversations and collaborations.

Call for participation:

We invite scholars researching the digitization of the grid and power plants from a technological, computational or social perspective, to please submit a 250-word abstract by January 31^st, 2025. At the Intersection will be held in the grounds of Merseburg University between the 1^st and the 3^rd of September 2025. Please send your abstracts by email to energy-digital-decentral@hs-merseburg.de.

Day 1 

13:00-13:20    Conference Opening

13:20-15:00    Informatics Session

15:00-15:30    Afternoon – Coffee & Mingle

15:30-17:00    Informatics Keynote

18:00  Informal Dinner

Day 2 

09:00-10:30    Social Science Keynote

10:30-11:00    Morning - Coffee & Mingle 

11:00-12:40    Social Science Session

12:40-13:30    Lunch 

13:30-15:10    Engineering Session

15:10-15:30    Afternoon – Coffee & Mingle 

15:30-17:00    Engineering Keynote

18:00  Formal Conference Dinner 

Day 3 

09:00-10:40    Interdisciplinary & Policymakers Session

10:40-11:00    Morning - Coffee & Mingle 

11:00-12:30    Guided Discussion and Future Prospects

Merseburg University of Applied Sciences

Eberhard-Leibnitz-Stra?e 2

06217 Merseburg

Germany