Lignite Energy Council Podcast

Episode 44: Data Centers: A Growing Opportunity for Coal Country

Stacy Tschider, Dave Nehring, Don Flaherty Moderator: Retha Mattern Industry and community leaders examined the rapid growth of data centers and the opportunities they

Episode 43: Critical Minerals: Research on the Horizon

Greg Henthorn, Levi Moxness, Carroll Dewing Moderator: Jason Laumb Industry and research leaders provided an update on critical minerals research associated with North

Episode 42: Powering the Future: An Update from Bismarck State College

Dr. Brian Kalk Dr. Brian Kalk discussed Bismarck State College's expanding role in developing the next generation of energy professionals. He shared his vision for the

Episode 41: From Research to Results: Decades of Lignite Innovation

Mike Jones, Mike Holmes, Jason Laumb Moderator: Jonathan Fortner Three generations of Lignite Energy Council research leaders reflected on the history and evolution of

Episode 40: When the Grid Needs It Most

Andy Buntrock Andy Buntrock examined recent periods of high electricity demand and discussed the challenges of maintaining grid reliability as weather-dependent generat

Episode 39: New Voices on the Legislative Campaign Trail

Mike Holmes, Mike Heger, Steve Sauter Moderator: Jessica Bell Three first-time legislative candidates shared what motivated them to seek public office, the experiences

Episode 38: Federal Energy Policy: What It Means for North Dakota

Sen. Kevin Cramer, Rep. Julie Fedorchak (Sen. John Hoeven invited) Moderator: Jonathan Fortner North Dakota's federal delegation discussed the latest energy policy dev

Episode 37: Lignite Energy Council Update

Jonathan Fortner, President & CEO, Lignite Energy Council Jonathan Fortner provided an update on the Lignite Energy Council's key initiatives, advocacy efforts, and str

Episode 36: Chairman's Address

Todd Brickhouse, CEO and General Manager, Basin Electric Power Cooperative Todd Brickhouse shared his perspective on the state of the electric industry, the importance

Episode 35: Keeping It Local: How Energy Projects Strengthen Coal County Budgets

As electricity demand rises and the focus returns to reliable energy, new projects are creating real dollars for local communities. LEC President Jonathan Fortner explain

Episode 34: Western Dakota Energy Association (WDEA) Executive Director, Alison Ritter

Alison Ritter has been the executive director of the Western Dakota Energy Association (WDEA), since July 2025, following the retirement of former ED Geoff Simon. WDEA re

Episode 33: Beyond the Classroom: Expanding Energy Opportunities

Where will the next generation of our industry's workforce come from? How is that pipeline of talent growing? At our 2025 Lignite Energy Council annual conference, I sa

Episode 32: Fireside Chat: Reflections and the Road Ahead

The Lignite Energy Council has gone through a lot of change in the past 50 plus years. At the 2025 lignite energy council annual conference, I sat down with MacMcLennan…

Episode 31: Keynote Speaker – Aaron Witt, BuildWitt

He could be called the Millennial Mike Rowe. With an eye towards big equipment, a love for moving dirt, and a passion for finding the best of mining practices across the

Episode 30: Policy and Progress: Updates from Governor Kelly Armstrong

Coal is the 5 th largest industry in North Dakota, and provides the dependable, reliable electricity we use every day. Governor Kelly Armstrong talked to our members at

Episode 29: Political Perspectives from Industry Leaders

What does it take to be a leader in your community? Why do those voices matter? How can you add to the conversation? During our annual conference in November, Jonathan Fo

Episode 28: Future Opportunities for the Lignite Industry

As we kick off 2026, we're looking towards the future of the coal industry this year. What new opportunities are in store, and what's going to be making headlines this

Episode 27: CO₂as a Commodity: Turning a Challenge into Opportunity

One of the biggest headline-makers of the past year has been carbon capture and utilization. Let's separate the fact from the fiction, and look at how captured carbon can

Episode 26: Legislators' Role in Powering Production

As 2025 comes to a close, we're taking a look back at policy and legislative decisions that impacted the lignite coal industry over the years. What will it take to suppor

Episode 25: Year in Review 2025

LEC President & CEO Jonathan Fortner is joined by LEC's Executive Director of Public Engagement Retha Mattern to recap the key federal, state and local developments impac