Category Archives: events

Lisa Dundon AGA Scholarship Program to Support Students Seeking Careers in Natural Gas Industry

Posted on April 22, 2013 by | Leave a comment


Last Thursday marked a historic day as AGA announced that proceeds from LNG 17 will be put towards scholarships for students interested in pursuing a career in the natural gas industry. The AGA Scholarship program will provide $1 million in funding for students focused on fields related to energy.

On hand for the announcement (pictured left to right) were David Carroll, President of the Gas Technology Institute; Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of AGA; David McClanahan, President and CEO of CenterPoint Energy; and Eloise Dunn Stuhr, Vice President and Vice Chancellor for University Advancement with the University of Houston and UH System.

AGA scholarship panel 300x216 AGA Scholarship Program to Support Students Seeking Careers in Natural Gas Industry

“Natural gas is the foundation fuel for a clean and secure energy future and an economic revitalization for our country,” said McCurdy. “Our commitment will help ensure the continued vitality of the American workforce and solidify the legacy of this transformation in American energy.”

A recent survey revealed that nearly 50 percent of the energy sector is experiencing a gap in the skills of its work force in mission critical areas such as engineering and skill trade.

Students seeking a career in trade jobs that are in high demand in the natural gas industry including HVAC, Welding, Pipefitters, Mechanical/Petroleum/Chemical Engineering, Engineering Technologies/Technicians, and specific natural gas programs such as Gas Utility Construction and Service will be eligible for the scholarship. It is anticipated that more than 200 students will receive scholarships over the next five years.

Students at the schools outlined below will be selected to participate. We are so excited to share this great news and look forward to sharing more with you as the students are selected.

Baton Rouge Community College; Baton Rouge, LA
Bishop State Community College; Mobile, AL
Bismarck State College; Bismarck ND
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Pomona, CA
Central Piedmont Community College; Charlotte, NC
City Colleges of Chicago; Chicago, IL
Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
Colorado School of Mines; Golden, CO
Erie Community College; Buffalo, NY
Gwinnett Technical College; Lawrenceville, GA
International School of Hydrocarbon Measurement; Norman, OK
Ivy Tech Community College; Terre Haute, IN
Kilgore College; Kilgore, TX
Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT); Beaumont, TX
Los Angeles Trade–Technical College; Los Angeles, CA
Marshalltown Community College; Marshalltown, IA
Monroe Community College; Rochester, NY
Northeast Iowa Community College; Calmar, IA
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; Green Bay, WI
Northern Virginia Community College; Annandale, VA
Pennsylvania College of Technology; Williamsport, PA
Salt Lake Community College; Salt Lake City, UT
Stevens Institute of Technology; Hoboken, NJ
University of Houston, Houston; TX
West Virginia University; Morgantown, WV
Westmoreland County Community College; Youngwood, PA

Posted in energy, events, jobs, LNG, LNG17, people, technology | Leave a comment

Christina Nyquist 811: A Safe Investment

Posted on August 13, 2012 by | 3 Comments


We told you about our members’ 811 Day activities last Friday, but have you seen this video of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) ringing the closing bell with Verizon at the New York Stock Exchange?

Natural gas pipelines and many other vital services can be damaged or interrupted. Recognizing 811 at the NYSE is just another way to remind the public of just how important it is to call before you dig. An underground utility line is damaged during digging projects every three minutes nationwide.

811 NYSE2 300x224 811: A Safe Investment

CGA representatives Khrysanne Kerr, Erika Lee, and Bob Kipp stand at the podium before ringing the NYSE bell to kick off the 8/11 weekend. Photo credit: CGA Connect

Don’t forget to click here to make the 811 promise!

Posted in 811, energy, events | 3 Comments

Lisa Dundon London 2012 Olympic Cauldron Fueled By Natural Gas

Posted on August 9, 2012 by | 6 Comments


The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games had a lot to live up to after the magnificent masterpiece put on by Beijing four years ago. Television show hosts, journalists, athletes, and fans wondered how the opening ceremony mastermind, Danny Boyle, would top such showmanship.

The reviews of Boyle’s dramatic display were all across the board, ranging from spectacular to creepy. But one thing really stood out above it all, no matter what your opinion might have been. The iconic Olympic cauldron had drastically changed – and not just on the outside, but on the inside too.

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The Olympic Cauldron during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Photo Credit: Mike Blake, REUTERS

Each of the towering cauldron’s 204 petals, representing the 204 nations coming together, is lit with clean natural gas. London-based designer Thomas Heatherwick was instructed by London’s Organizing Committee to construct the cauldron to be as “green” as possible – and that he did. Near the end of the opening ceremony, the Olympic athletes lit the world’s first low carbon cauldron.

Overnight, the gas flow of the multiple burners is reduced significantly from 100 percent down to 15 percent. The 16 ton copper cauldron is much lighter in comparison to Beijing’s 300 ton cauldron, and will be recycled after the closing ceremony. Each competing nation will be given one of the petals to take as a lasting memory of the games.

Posted in energy, environment, events, Natural Gas | 6 Comments

Dan Gibson Happy Birthday Consumers Energy

Posted on December 6, 2011 by | Comments Off


Consumers Energy turns 125 years old today. In 1886 William Augustine Foote and Samuel Jarvis secured a Jackson franchise agreement from the Jackson Common Council. Their first service…illuminating the downtown area of Jackson with arc lighting. 125 years later, their corporate headquarters is still located in Jackson, Michigan as they serve 6.8 million Michigan residents, including 1.7 million natural gas customers.

Consumers Energy is going to be celebrating all year-long and they’re kicking it off today with some grants to Michigan communities totaling $1.25 million. You can read a complete history of Consumers Energy along with an accompanying Flickr album. You can also watch the video below from their YouTube channel.

Read the rest of the story →

Posted in events, people | Comments Off