CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Ullico Inc. and Hope Gas, Inc. officially opened the Edward M. Smith National Career and Life Skills Development Center in Clarksburg Wednesday on Columbia Boulevard, about eight miles away from the North Central West Virginia Airport.
Hope Gas, Inc., President and CEO Morgan O’Brien said the site is actually a small town complete with homes and streets. The homes are fitted with appliances and gas utilities run under the streets to give workers and community partners the chance to learn and train in a real-world environment.
“It basically replicates what people will see in the field, but also what happens when there’s a leak in the street,” O’Brien said. “All the different scenarios that happen, this training facility is going to be a place where our employees can experience that before they go out.”
Hope Gas, Inc. is developing a hydrogen cell for residential or commercial use that operates with a blend of natural gas. The system, designed to be used in place of a generator, converts natural gas to hydrogen, which is converted to electricity using a chemical reaction similar to a battery. The fuel cell does not emit any nitrogen oxides (NOx) or sulfur oxides (SOx).
O’Brien said they’ll work with West Virginia University and the National Energy Technology Laboratory to test the systems at the site.
“What happens if you have blended hydrogen in the natural gas? The future everyone is talking about is hydrogen,” O’Brien said. “We can really experiment and explore all the issues when you do that in a small town setting.”
Members of area labor unions and education leaders attended the event and plan to use the site in the future. The facility will be an important part of the Hope Gas, Inc. training program for current workers, helping them advance skills and certifications. According to O’Brien, they also want to share the facility with area schools and other businesses.
“For today’s gas workers, make them the best they can be and give them the skill set to provide the best service to the people of West Virginia,” O’Brien said. “But also, to prepare the next generation of gas workers.”
The site will be ideal for firefighter training, and O’Brien said that will be an important function. He expects the facility to be used by multiple agencies in the future to contribute to the training of the first responder community.
“On that bad day when there’s a fire and gas is involved, we need the Hope Gas people to work arm-in-arm with those volunteer or paid fire departments to make sure those people are safe and the fire gets put out quickly,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien expects the facility to be ground zero for the beginning of many well-paying careers in the natural gas industry for years to come.
“Somebody learns the skillset it takes to be a licensed laborer or a licensed operator,” O’Brien said. “But also take the next step to learn how to be a gas worker, which makes them more valuable and builds their careers.”
Edward M. Smith was a Ullico Inc. leader who transformed the labor movement. He died this year.