Press Releases
August 17, 2006
Senator Announces Funds for Williston Training Center
Conrad: Energy is Key to North Dakota's Economy
Williston -- At a press conference today attended by Williston-area energy, economy and education leaders, Senator Kent Conrad praised efforts by Williston State College to train new oil-patch workers and announced $200,000 to help fund the training center.
"Securing a stable, domestic energy supply is one of our nation's greatest challenges. It is also one of North Dakota's greatest opportunities," Senator Conrad said. "I am pleased to announce these federal funds to help Williston State College provide hands-on training to new oil workers."
The funds were included in the Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2007. That bill is expected to pass through the Congress later this fall. The funds will be used to construct a work-over rig, oil fire training site, classroom space, and two wells. This will provide on-hands training for new workers at Williston State College's Petroleum Safety and Technology Center.
Senator Conrad was joined at the announcement by Joe McCann, the President of Williston State College, Deanette Piesik, the Director of Workforce Training at Williston State, Tom Rolfstad, Executive Director of the Williston Economic Development Partnership, and Marv Kaiser, President of Sun Well Service in Williston.
The economies of areas like Williston, at the heart of North Dakota's oil producing region, would greatly benefit under legislation introduced recently by Senator Conrad, his Breaking Our Long-term Dependence, or BOLD, Energy Act. The BOLD Energy Act will move the nation toward greater energy independence by promoting domestic oil-and-gas development, development of clean-coal technology, and renewable fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol and wind.
"It is time we turned to the Midwest, instead of the Mid East, for our energy production," Senator Conrad said. "No state is in a better position to grow its economy from expanding the energy sector than North Dakota."
