The Lignite Energy Council will host its 34th annual Teachers Seminar on June 10 – 13 at the National Energy Center of Excellence on the Bismarck State College campus, Bismarck, ND. Approximately 120 teachers from North Dakota and surrounding states have registered for the seminar, which includes classroom lectures along with mine and plant tours.

The following are the speakers for this year’s seminar:

• Lignite: The Region’s Best Kept Secret
  • Steve Van Dyke, Vice President – Communications, Lignite Energy Council
• North Dakota Geology: Coal‐Bearing Rocks in the Northern Great Plains
  • Kendra Frank – Geological Engineer, The Coteau Properties Co. Freedom Mine
• Lignite Mining and Reclamation
  • Kayla Torgerson – Environmental Specialist, The Coteau Properties Co. Freedom Mine
• Electricity Generation Choices
  • John Bauer – Director of North Dakota Generation, Great River Energy
• Synfuels Production from Lignite
  • Erin Huntimer – Project Coordinations Representative, Basin Electric Power Cooperative
• Introduction to North Dakota Energy Curriculum
  • Retha Mattern – Business & Outreach Coordinator, National Energy Center of Excellence
• Transmission – Transporting Electricity by Wire
  • Matthew Stoltz – Director of Transmission Services, Basin Electric Power Cooperative
• Enhancing Lignite’s Future through Research & Development
  • Mike Holmes – Vice President of Research & Development, Lignite Energy Council
• Plant Level Environmental Compliance
  • Craig Bleth – Senior Manager of Power Production, Minnkota Power Cooperative
• Industry Career Choices
  • Kent Ellis – Special Projects Coordinator, Bismarck Public Schools
• Economics and Electricity 101
  • Brian Kroshus – Director of Energy Systems, Energy and Environmental Research Center at UND
• Workforce Issues and Needs Panel
  • Moderator: Jason Bohrer – President & CEO, Lignite Energy Council
  • Dan Dorfschmidt – Operations Manager, Butler Machinery
  • David Farnsworth – Manager of North Dakota Power Generation & Engineering Services, Great River Energy
  • Jay Volk – Environmental Manager, BNI Coal, Ltd.
  • Bruce Emmil – Associate Vice President – NECE, Bismarck State College

The seminar provides instruction on these topics and more: history, geology, land reclamation, environmental protection, and economics of the lignite industry, the need for more workers, energy conservation, and transmission. Besides the classroom instruction and the tours, teachers will take home handouts, videos, coal samples and activities that can be used in the classroom, as well as two professional graduate credits.