Ohio seeks cleaner ways to use state's coal

Aug 7 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Tim Feran The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

Shale gas may be making headlines, but Ohio still has significant coal operations.The state yesterday announced an effort to find clean uses for coal and is pledging $30 million over the next two years to support that effort.

The Ohio Department of Development's Coal Development Office is leading the project, designed to "create a cleaner, more economical and great use of Ohio coal and/or its combustion."

"Ohio is interested in having a diversified energy portfolio," said Chad Smith, deputy chief of the office of energy in the Ohio Department of Development. "The purpose of the Coal Development Office is to expand clean-coal technology."

Universities or research organizations that collaborate with industry are expected to come up with clean-coal proposals for projects in Ohio or those using Ohio-mined coal, Smith said. The proposals will have plenty of coal to work with: The United States has the world's largest coal reserves, and Ohio ranks seventh among the states in coal reserves.While the projects may focus on making coal cleaner-burning or removing pollutants from emissions, they also might aim to come up with a use for byproducts of burned coal or find new uses for coal as a raw material in the chemical industry.

The proposal springs from the comprehensive energy plan that Gov. John Kasich signed into law in June, Smith said. At the time he signed the legislation, Kasich pledged "to make valuable investments in clean-coal research and technology."

But a major part of Kasich's energy plan is promotion of oil and gas production in Ohio's shale formations, production that is part of a natural-gas boom that has led to tough times in Ohio's coal industry.

Many utilities, including American Electric Power -- one of the nation's largest burners of coal for power plants -- are shutting down power plants that burn coal, mostly in favor of natural gas. The utilities are making the switch because, in addition to being cheaper than coal, natural gas produces far fewer emissions of toxic chemicals and other gases that are increasingly subject to tougher environmental rules.

Because of the rapid shift by utility companies, the share of U.S. electricity that comes from coal is predicted to fall below 40 percent this year, its lowest level since World War II. By 2020, the share is expected to be about 30 percent, the federal Energy Information Administration says.

tferan@dispatch.com