Those interested in the future of the power, coal, natural gas, wind and related energy industries in West Virginia will have the opportunity to help assess the states leadership role in a series of workshops being planned this fall by the National Research Center for Coal&Energy at West Virginia University and the WVU College of Business and Economics.

The workshops, commissioned by the West Virginia Development Office, are an outgrowth of the Governors Energy Task Force.

The series kicks off Sept. 23-24 at Canaan Valley Resort in Davis with a renewable energy workshop, focusing on wind energy.

The remaining workshops will take place at the new Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, continuing with coal bed natural gas discussions on Oct. 29, hydrogen issues on Nov. 9 and energy infrastructure on Dec. 11.

In announcing the workshops, David Satterfield, executive director of the state Development Office said,”We congratulate the Governors Energy Task Force and its leader, Pat Esposito, for the progress they are making. We are ready to move ahead with recommendations made by the task force for workshops focusing on in-depth assessments of renewable energy, coal bed natural gas, hydrogen and our state’s energy infrastructure.”

Workshop details are being handled by technical program committees comprised of respected leaders in energy including: Douglas Patchen of the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council at WVU ; John F. Herholdt, Jr. of the state Development Offices Energy Efficiency Office; Tom Lane of Bowles Rice McDavid Graff&Love; Clint Hurt of Clint Hurt and Associates; Charles Bryer, Randall Harris and Curt Nakaishi of the National Energy Technology Laboratory; Richard A. Bajura and Trina Karolchik Wafle of the National Research Center for Coal&Energy at WVU ; Calvin Kent of the Marshall University Lewis College of Business; Mark Burton of Marshall University; Tom Witt and Patrick Mann of the WVU College of Business and Economics; Corky DeMarko of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association; George Blankenship of Allegheny Power; and Esposito, Augusta Systems .

Partial funding for the series is being provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

For more information or to register, visit: http://www.WVEnergyRoadmapWorkshops.org .