10-15-19 Energy Matters Hour 1

In the first hour of Energy Matters, with host Scott Hennen, the following guests appeared on the show:

Steven Curtis, an expert on nuclear energy, gave listeners an update on nuclear energy and previewed his talk at an upcoming energy conference in Grand Forks. Curtis has appeared on Energy Matters before, and today's segment was a follow-up to the discussion from the first appearance on the show.

Jason Ehlert, President of the North Dakota Building Trades Union, joined the show as part of the Lignite Energy Council's weekly segment. Jason touched on the type of trade unions that work the power plants, how young people can get involved and how important the lignite industry is to people who work in the trades. Jason also touched on the benefits of working in the trades.

Charles Hernick, director of Policy and Advocacy at Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, joined Scott to talk about the status of energy legislation. There are several pieces of energy legislation that are now up in the air while Democrats have called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Hernick talks about how those legislation pieces are affected by the proceedings.

In our weekly education segment, Williston State College's Alex Kovalev, who is the coordinator of the Petroleum Technology and Automation Program, joined to discuss the Women in Automation event held earlier this week in Williston. Williston State College has a two-year Petroleum Technology and Automation program, sponsored by Crestwood Energy Services. Recent enhancements in the curriculum have been powered by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the ongoing collaboration/cross-walk with the Information Technology program at the college. They are holding a Women in Automation event to advertise our program to the local female high-school students to increase the interest of female workers in traditionally underrepresented industries (such as Electric, Automation & Controls, and SCADA systems in Oil and Gas, Manufacturing, Power Plant, etc).