Here are the special guests, energy experts and community leaders for This Week In Energy May 17:
Shelly Paul, 31:8 Project, join Jason Spiess to discuss energy communities dealing with human trafficking, mental health issues and how to help and The 5th Annual Bakken Human Trafficking Summit happening May 20-21 in Bismarck, ND
Survivors of human trafficking endure profound psychological trauma due to prolonged exposure to abuse, coercion, and exploitation. Research indicates that approximately 98% of trafficking survivors experience at least one diagnosable mental health condition, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders .
These mental health challenges often persist long after the trafficking experience has ended, necessitating comprehensive and sustained support for recovery.
The psychological impact of trafficking is multifaceted. Survivors frequently report symptoms including nightmares, emotional numbness, guilt, self-harm behaviors, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships . Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable, with many exhibiting signs of complex trauma, dissociation, and developmental disruptions .
Effective recovery for survivors involves trauma-informed care that addresses both psychological and physical health needs. Therapeutic interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, art and music therapy, and equine-assisted therapy have shown promise in facilitating healing . However, access to these services remains limited, and long-term support is often necessary to address the enduring effects of trauma .
5th Annual Bakken Human Trafficking Summit: May 20–21, 2025
The 5th Annual Bakken Human Trafficking Summit is scheduled for May 20–21, 2025, at St. Mary's Central High School in Bismarck, North Dakota . Organized by the North Dakota-based nonprofit 31:8 Project, the summit aims to educate and engage the community on issues related to sex and labor trafficking, with a focus on the Bakken region.
The event will feature keynote presentations, breakout sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, providing a platform for professionals, survivors, and community members to collaborate on combating human trafficking. Continuing education credits will be available for attending professionals. Due to the sensitive nature of the topics discussed, discretion is advised for attendees .
For more information or to inquire about scholarship opportunities, interested individuals click here.
This summit represents a significant opportunity for stakeholders to deepen their understanding of human trafficking's impact on mental health and to develop strategies for effective intervention and support.
Joe Sinnott, CEO, Witting Partners LLC and the host of The Energy Detox Podcast explains how to manage layoffs, new start ups and professional expectations during times of change.
When companies undergo layoffs, the process typically involves strategic workforce reductions aimed at cutting costs, restructuring, or adapting to market shifts. Internally, layoffs disrupt workflows, strain morale, and often lead to increased workloads for remaining employees. Key knowledge and talent may be lost, requiring internal teams to adjust responsibilities, realign goals, and rebuild trust in leadership. Communication and change management become critical during this period to maintain stability and productivity.
At the same time, layoffs can serve as a catalyst for innovation. Many former employees—facing uncertainty—leverage their skills, industry knowledge, and networks to launch their own businesses. These newly formed startups often emerge from gaps or inefficiencies identified during their previous roles, leading to fresh solutions, agile business models, and competitive market entries.
In this way, while layoffs can challenge established organizations, they also help fuel entrepreneurial ecosystems and the next wave of industry innovation.
Having an executive coach during a period of layoffs can be highly beneficial to an organization by helping its leadership navigate difficult decisions with clarity, empathy, and strategic focus. Executive coaches provide leaders with a confidential space to process emotions, maintain composure, and develop communication strategies that preserve trust and morale.
They help ensure messaging is transparent yet compassionate, which can mitigate reputational damage and prevent remaining employees from disengaging or losing confidence in leadership.
Coaching also aids in prioritizing long-term goals amid short-term disruptions, helping leaders remain aligned with company values while executing tough decisions. Additionally, it enhances decision-making skills under pressure and reinforces resilience in both individual leaders and organizational culture.
Ultimately, executive coaching during layoffs supports not only the emotional intelligence of leadership but also the operational stability and future success of the company.
The two also discuss having an executive coach during the launch of a new business can significantly increase the chances of success by providing founders with strategic guidance, personal accountability, and leadership development. Executive coaches help entrepreneurs clarify their vision, set realistic goals, and stay focused amid the uncertainty and rapid decision-making required in the early stages.
They act as trusted sounding boards for navigating complex challenges, building effective teams, and making critical financial and operational choices. Coaching also supports the development of key leadership skills such as time management, delegation, and communication—essential for scaling the business. By helping founders manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain perspective, executive coaches enable more confident and effective leadership from the start, laying a stronger foundation for sustainable growth.
To contact Sinnott, click here. To listen to The Energy Detox Podcast, click here.
Dave Roberts, Volts Podcast, speaks with Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Energy about ground-source heat pumps, which are twice as efficient as air-source units but still more expensive up front. Dandelion has designed its own drills and heat pumps, and with a new 1,500-home partnership with a developer in Colorado, it’s looking to scale up and bring costs down.
David Roberts
It's been a long time coming. I swear we talked years ago about something, but I searched on Volts and I can find no sign of it. So, it must have been pre-Volts.
Kathy Hannun
But it was. You wrote a really helpful overview of the different types of geothermal.
David Roberts
Oh, right.
Kathy Hannun
And you were thoughtful enough to actually include geothermal heat pumps, and we use that pretty often to help explain what the technology is to people. So, it's great to speak with you again.
David Roberts
Yeah, that was my own crash course, learning about geothermal. I guess that was back in 2018. Good grief. Well, anyway, good to have you here. So, I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions that I'm sure you've answered a gajillion times. But just as a treat for you to do a nice thing, let's start by talking about the news that I'm sure you are actually excited to talk about, which is this Lennar deal. Tell us a little bit about how that deal came about. And, are you aware of anyone else in the US installing geothermal heat pumps in numbers like this?
Kathy Hannun
I'm not aware of any other project to install a similar scale of residential geothermal heat pumps. So, it's a special opportunity for Dandelion and the industry. I thought your introduction was great. And it is true that the main thing holding geothermal back is the upfront cost. And when you have a chance to install 1,500 of something at once, that alone can go such a long way to bringing down the cost. But the deal came together because Lennar has a reputation among home builders for always looking at new technologies and new products they can offer their homeowners.
And they're also, like many builders, facing some pressure to electrify in various states where they make new homes.
David Roberts
Worth noting, this is taking place in Colorado, which has all kinds of building code things, building laws, and laws about decarbonization of various sectors. There's a lot pushing in Colorado.
Kathy Hannun
That's right. And one thing in Colorado — I mean, there are many factors which we can get into later — but now, builders have to pay, for example, to extend gas if they want gas to a new development. It's no longer a socialized cost. So, the state is taking real steps to level the playing field and even boost the chances for electrification through some nice incentives there. But yeah, so anyway, they were interested in finding alternatives to air source. And we explained, "Yes, there is the upfront cost and sort of need to put in a ground loop, but when you do it 1,500 times in a row on a brownfield construction site, it's actually not that expensive."
And then, you know, the homeowner can benefit from this really premium, high-performance, low-cost system forever. And Lennar benefits as well in a lot of ways. Specifically in Colorado, because the incentives are so favorable for geothermal, it's actually more cost-effective for them upfront as well. So everyone's incentives were aligned to make this happen.
The Solar Maverick Benoy Thanjan bring some expert commentary with up-to-the-minute news, offering you a strategic overview of the renewable energy market.
The discussion explores how increasing electricity rates are fueling a greater need for residential solar adoption, the current lag in solar penetration across the U.S., and how solar tax credits can be a game-changing financial strategy for investors.
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.
Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable.
Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets.
Benoy was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects. He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio. Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.
This Week In Energy will air across 22 radio stations this weekend and drop on podcast Saturday morning.
This Week In Energy is a weekly newsmagazine radio podcast which qualifies for FCC mandated Public Affairs time. This Week In Energy addresses issues of public interest, such as safety, education, poverty, environment, mental health, and/or employment. Published files and recordings of interviews available as public files to increase accessibility to the public and to ensure the security of information.
All Energy Has A Purpose And We Are All Energy!
Singer Songwriter music feature is Alma Cook
Everyday your story is being told by someone. Who is telling your story? Who are you telling your story to?
Email your sustainable story ideas, professional press releases or podcast submissions to thecontentcreationstudios(AT)gmail(DOT)com
CLICK HERE FOR SPECIAL PARAMOUNT + DISCOUNT LINK
Paramount+ offers its subscribers a plethora of quality content.
From instant classic films to banger TV shows like 1883 and Smile 2, there’s no shortage of entertainment to explore.
How about the new series Happy Face? It’s getting fabulous reviews.
Start Streaming Today!
CLICK HERE FOR SPECIAL PARAMOUNT + DISCOUNT LINK
Share this post