Abilene Christian University hosts German delegation for clean energy tour

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – International attention has once again been drawn to Key City. A delegation of German diplomats visited Abilene Christian University (ACU) on Tuesday, September 24, to tour the ACU Next Lab Molten Salt nuclear reactor facility and several other clean energy sites in Abilene.

The evening concluded at the Mabee Business building, where the delegation met with a group of approximately 20 ACU students for a discussion on the future of clean energy.

ACU Student Government Association members, Sophie Grace Fridge and Zeke Whisenhunt, told KTAB/KRBC that this meeting was a joint effort put forward by themselves and a few other university entities. It all began with a call from the Bertelsmann Foundation. A Washington D.C.-based non-profit think tank that works to foster positive relations between the U.S. and our transatlantic partners.

“It was kind of a shock, but it’s definitely a great opportunity,” said Whisenhunt.

“It was honestly really exciting. I think sometimes we forget, being in our private Christian college, that ACU and Abilene have the opportunity to do really big things in the world. So, I’m really excited about the opportunity for students to get to hear about a part of the world that cares about what’s happening in Abilene… Being West Texas College students, they don’t often get to interact with members from embassies in Washington D.C., so it’s a cool opportunity to elevate their voices,” Fridge said.

KTAB/KRBC also spoke with two members of the touring group, Markus Hatzelmann of the German Consulate in Houston and Sophie Hemmer of the German Embassy in Washington, D.C.

“Being based in Texas, of course, I always try to tell my colleagues back in Washington that if you want to learn about energy, what’s happening, you have to come to Texas. And I’m very happy that they followed this call. It came here because I think we want to see what’s happening in all fields,” said Hatzelmann.

Abilene is just one stop on the delegation’s tour of Texas. Hemmer expressed her thoughts about what she has observed so far and how she believes others could benefit from the diverse strategies that Texas employs in the clean energy sector.

“I think we can learn from Texas that an all-of-the-above approach is a very good approach to be open to any kind of energy,” Hemmer said.

The group of students included some who had previously traveled to Germany, along with others connected to the fields of energy and engineering.