Energy discussion at Ohio Valley University

The future of energy production-both fossil and alternative fuels-was discussed Friday at Ohio Valley University.

This years energy colloquium brought in speakers from the chemical, oil and natural gas industry, as well as OVU graduates now working in the industry.

They all agree on one thing: it's just the beginning of the growth of production and jobs in the energy industry that we've seen in the past decade.

"The folks who we are going to need to fill the pipeline, thousands of jobs, potentially, over the next five years or a decade," says Dr. Kevin DiGregorio, Executive Director of the Chemical Alliance Zone. "So it's a huge part of what we need, a workforce."

"I have welding background; I took vocational school in high school," says OVU Sophomore Sabrina Lauer. "That's ultimately what my goal is, to run a pipeline one day."

OVU has been involved in an energy project of its own: a clean coal gasification project designed to support higher education and produce 60 coal jobs.

It is expected to break ground early next year.