ROANOKE, Va. – While world leaders met in Copenhagen to discuss the role of energy in climate change, business leaders and state officials from West Virginia met this week to discuss the role of the state in meeting the energy needs of the country.

Adam Victor, President of Transgas, discussed the status of Mingo County Hybrid Energy, the coal-to-liquid plant planned for Mingo County. The plant, which will be located near Gilbert, will provide 300 to 400 jobs when brought to full production, and required a capital investment of $3 billion from the company.

The project is currently in the process of obtaining all the applicable permits, with the air quality permit from the Department of Environmental Protection currently under consideration. The department will receive comments from the public about the plant under Dec. 18. Exxon Mobile has committed to be a part of the project,, Victor said. The energy company will perform the final part of the coal to liquid process, which is to convert the syngas created from coal to gasoline. Exxon Mobile has only committed to eight such projects worldwide, Victor explained.

Providing there are no unforeseen problems, Victor said, the project should begin seek contractors in the third quarter of 2010 and start production in 2013. Regarding the current uncertainty about carbon regulation, Victor said “We will comply with the law when it is established as we are complying with all current laws now.”

Appalachian Electric Power Plant Manager Gary Spitznogle provided an update on a carbon storage project in northern West Virginia. The plant is one the first of its kind in the nation to capture CO2 from an existing power plant and store deep underground, and will eventually capture and store over 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. AEP and their partners have invested over $120 Million in the plant, and the DOE recently announcing they will provided $97 million more to expand the capture rate of the demonstration.

The Mingo County Redevelopment Authority has been working with the various entities involved to bring the project to fruition.

Penn State Professor Frank Clemente spoke about the importance of coal in meeting energy needs.

“Coal is the corner stone of the worlds energy future,” Clemente said. “Since 1990 China has raised 200 million people from poverty only because they have been increasing the access to electricity through new coal power plants. India will be the world’s largest nation within 7 years with over 600 million depending on wood or dung for cooking food and the only domestic energy source they have is coal.”

Governor Joe Manchin discussed the current cap-and-trade legislation being considered by congress. He said if the legislation is passed, it would devastate West Virginia’s economy.

“Cap and trade will be a transfer of wealth the likes of which the world has never seen nor anyone of us can imagine,” Manchin said. “The loss of jobs will be greater than we can ever recover.”

Senator Jay Rockefeller also expressed concerns about the legislation.

“This conversation starts and ends with our economy,” Rockefller said. “I will not support any bill that threatens WV’s future.”