Cindy Crane is the CEO of PacifiCorp and the Chairwoman of SER’s governance board, the Energy Resources Council. In this episode, Dr. Krutka and Ms. Crane discuss her long and distinguished career in the electricity sector, the future of the utility sector, her time on the Energy Resources Council, and her approach to leadership.

Like other energy sources, Wyoming exports most of the electricity it produces into complicated electricity markets. Todd Snitchler is a nationally recognized expert on electricity issues, especially wholesale electricity markets, and joins the podcast to shed light on Wyoming's electricity consumers and markets generally. As the CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, he represents companies that own competitive power generation assets and advocates for policies that focus on achieving and maintaining well-functioning and properly regulated competitive wholesale electricity markets. In this episode, Todd and Dr. Krutka discuss his interesting career and views on current challenges to the Nation's electricity grid, especially reliability issues.

Professor Todd Allen is the Chair of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan. After serving in the Navy, he earned a PhD in nuclear engineering and has spent his career working on issues related to the nuclear industry. In this episode, Dr. Allen and Dr. Krutka discuss his career, the important role of national labs, the development of advanced nuclear reactors, and his dedication to ensuring that the national and international discussion of nuclear energy includes voices far more diverse than just nuclear engineers.

Rob Creager is the Executive Director of the Wyoming Energy Authority, an entitiy with a mission is to advocate, facilitate, and advance Wyoming's energy economy. In an all-of-the above state, WEA covers the entire energy spectrum, including all sources of generation and extraction, distribution through transmission lines, pipelines and export facilities, as well as end use and consumption. In this episode, Mr. Creager and Dr. Krutka discuss WEA's porfolio of responsibilities, actions being taken, collaboration between WEA and SER, and Mr. Creager's own drive to remain in Wyoming and build a career helping the largest industry in his home state.

Jeff Merrifield is an attorney and partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, a law firm focusing on the technology and life sciences, energy, financial, real estate, and construction sectors. Jeff is a former Commissioner of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and leads the energy section at Pillsbury Wintrhop Shaw Pittman. He is widely recognized as an international thought leader on nuclear energy. In this episode, Dr. Krutka asks him about different types of nuclear energy, where the industry is going and the role Wyoming can and should play in this sector.

Representative Don Burkhart represented Wyoming House District 15 from 2011 through 2024. He has also served the state in various capacities, including serving as a member of the Energy Resources Council. His career included several different roles related to the nuclear sector. When Wyoming's first large-scale nuclear power plant was announced, Representative Burkhart's fellow legislators relied on his expertise and leadership to guide the state in key decisions. In this episode, Dr. Krutka asks Representative Burkhart about his time in the legislature, his perspective on the role nuclear energy can play in an energy state like Wyoming, and why he has chosen to give back through service.

This episode features Austin Moon, a recent graduate of the School of Energy Resources, and Randall Violett, the inaugural director over the Energy and Environmental Systems concentration in SER's Energy Resource Management and Development undergraduate degree. The guests discuss the curriculum for this educational concentration as well as the career opportunities available to environmental scientists and consultants.

Wyoming is an oil and gas producing state with a significant proportion of Wyoming’s oil coming from enhanced oil recovery using injection of carbon dioxide and other improvement techniques. Dr. Reza Barati is an expert on techniques for enhanced oil recovery and today serves as the Don W. Green Professor of Petroleum Engineering and the Director of the Tertiary Oil Recovery Program at the University of Kansas. Previously Professor Barati was at Wyoming’s own Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute and joins the podcast to speak about technology and opportunities for Wyoming.