GOVERNOR TO SPEAK DURING ENERGY CONFERENCE IN COLORADO WEDNESDAY 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Gov. Joe Manchin will travel to Colorado Springs to speak during the Center for Energy Workforce Development’s (CEWD) fall conference on Wednesday. The governor will join a host of top energy executives representing the electric, natural gas and nuclear utilities industries for the annual conference, which will focus on energy workforce solutions.

“Any time I have the chance to travel across the country to talk about the good things West Virginia has done to meet the nation’s energy needs and have a discussion with leaders about how to strengthen job opportunities, it is beneficial to the state,” Manchin said.

The governor stated that having business, labor and education on the same page is critical if the state expects to stay competitive in the global economy. “We must continue to innovate and find more ways to match talent with opportunities,” Gov. Manchin said. We’ve proven that we have the expertise, the technology and the quality workforce to be a leader and we must continue to build off of that foundation.”

The Center for Energy Workforce Development was formed to help utilities work together to develop solutions to the coming workforce shortage in the utility industry. It is the first partnership that focuses on the need to build a skilled workforce that will meet the utility industry needs.

Although unable to attend Wednesday’s Carbon Capture and Storage forum in Charleston due to the prior scheduled trip to Colorado, the governor commended the collaborative effort which made the event possible. “My desire is that Energy Secretary Chu will have a complete understanding of the vital necessity coal is to our nation’s economy, not just West Virginia’s economy,” Gov. Manchin said. “There is not another energy source today - that can replace coal and provide the base load to carry our nation forward. Secretary Chu must understand the balance that we are striving to find and how we must continue to find that balance. We intend to mine coal for as long as this country needs it. We have shown the ability to use coal in a much more environmentally friendly way. I totally oppose the cap and trade stance the federal government is taking – it will throw our economy into a tailspin. I truly believe there must be a better way.”

The Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) is a non-profit consortium of electric, natural gas and nuclear utilities and their associations - Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Over the past four years, the CEWD has worked with federal and state government officials, educators, and industry representatives to create best practices and leverage resources that reduce time and effort required by the individual company. At the state level, the Center has facilitated the creation of 26 CEWD Consortia that focuses on the needs of individual states in developing an energy workforce tailored to the economic, demographic, and specific workforce requirements of the state.

For more information on CEWD, visit the website at www.cewd.org.

Tweet

Contact Information