OCDO

About OCDO

The Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) is one of the nation’s most innovative clean coal technology programs. Focused primarily on air pollution abatement in its early days, OCDO partners with Ohio universities to spur groundbreaking research into some of our state’s and nation’s most pressing environmental challenges.

For example, OCDO funding supports pioneering efforts to expand the use of coal far beyond electricity generation into projects such as converting coal to cleaner-burning fuels. OCDO research dollars also are driving research into finding ways to control and safely dispose of carbon dioxide.  However, given that almost 90 percent of Ohio’s electricity is generated by coal, the importance of this most abundant resource to Ohio likely will not diminish in the foreseeable future.

Created by the General Assembly in 1984, OCDO became a program of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) in 2003.  Since 2008, when OAQDA assumed responsibility to administer the $150 million Ohio Advanced Energy Job Stimulus Program, OCDO has helped direct the authorization of funds for advanced clean coal technology projects from the program’s $66 million coal portion.  The remaining $84 million in funding is targeted at non-coal advanced energy projects.

OAQDA celebrated its 40th anniversary retrospective in 2010. Since the creation of the agency, the “state of coal” in Ohio has changed in response to regulatory and industrial demands.  To keep pace with those changes, OCDO published its first-ever strategic plan in 2008.  The plan targets four principal strategic objectives:

• maximizing the use of Ohio coal, including expanding the use of coal beyond electricity generation, to supply Ohio’s energy needs;
• reducing the environmental impact of continued, as well as additional, coal usage;
• supporting university research through the Ohio Coal Research Consortium; and,
• advocacy for Ohio coal.

OCDO’s core mission is to assist in funding the development and implementation of technologies that can use Ohio’s vast reserves of high sulfur coal in an economical, environmentally sound manner.  The deployment of such technologies is important as numerous energy forecasts project coal to fuel at least half of the nation’s electric power production into the foreseeable future.  Since 2003, Ohio has moved up in state rankings for coal consumption from fourth to third and in coal production from 13th to 11th.  Ohio also ranks seventh in coal reserves.

FAQs

Q.  What is the Ohio Coal Development Office?
A.  The Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) works with Ohio universities and other organizations as a funding partner in supporting clean coal technologies that can use Ohio’s vast reserves of high sulfur coal in an economical, environmentally sound manner.

Q.  Why was OCDO created in the first place?
A.  The federal Clean Air Act of 1970 signaled the beginning of a national movement to address growing concerns about air pollution.  By the mid-1980s, more attention was being paid to the emission of contaminants into the air by coal-based power plants.  OCDO was established by the Ohio General Assembly in 1984 to find ways to burn Ohio coal more cleanly.

Q.  What types of projects does OCDO fund?
A.  Projects supported by OCDO range from applied research through bench- and pilot-scale demonstrations to commercial deployment.  In recent years, the scope of projects funded was expanded to include those seeking to use coal beyond electricity generation and specifically for use as a source material for other fuels.  In 2010, OCDO began to focus on projects that target carbon capture and control.

Q.  How do prospective project applicants apply for OCDO funds?
A.  Interested and qualified Ohio universities are asked to submit pre-proposals to the Ohio Coal Research Consortium’s review committee for initial review.  Those projects that show promise are next considered by the full membership of the Consortium and then by OCDO’s statutorily created Technical Advisory Committee for final approval or disapproval.  The process typically begins each year in March and concludes at the July OAQDA meeting, when successful projects are authorized for funding.

Q.  Are any current or former OCDO-funded projects considered “cutting-edge?”
A.  Yes.  Examples include projects under way at the University of Akron and The Ohio State University aimed at creating coal fuel cells.  Another project at The Ohio State University involving the chemical looping process has shown great promise in being able to produce a gas stream during coal combustion that is free of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.

Q.  Has the work of OCDO made a positive difference in Ohio’s air quality?
A.  Ohio’s air is cleaner today than it was 30 years ago thanks to the efforts of the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection Agencies and OCDO working in partnership with Ohio universities, utilities and other organizations.  Since 1979, sulfur dioxide levels are down 76 percent, carbon monoxide levels are down 75 percent and nitrogen oxide levels are down 27 percent.

Q.  What is OCDO’s role in the $150 million Advanced Energy Job Stimulus Program?
A.  OAQDA is the administering authority for this program.  Of the $150 million in the program, $66 million was set aside for advanced energy projects in the “coal” category.  OAQDA, working through OCDO, authorizes funding from this program for clean coal technology projects that successfully address program guidelines.

Q.  How long will coal remain important as a source of electricity and energy in Ohio?
A.  With nearly 90 percent of all electricity generated in Ohio being produced by coal combustion, coal will remain important in Ohio into the foreseeable future.  As more coal is used as a feedstock for other forms of clean energy, its importance will be enhanced.

Q.  Aside from electricity generation, what other types of energy can be derived from coal?
A.  Coal is showing increasing promise in being converted for use in coal fuel cells and in a variety of synthetic petroleum products, including aviation fuel.

Q.  Does OCDO oversee and regulate coal mining in Ohio?
A.  No.  That job is the function of the Division of Mineral Resources within the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  This office may be reached at 614-265-7999 or at www.ohiodnr.com/mineral.  At the federal level, the Mine Safety and Health Administration within the U.S. Department of the Interior is the enforcement agency responsible for the health and safety of coal miners.  In addition, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement supports the work of state programs that regulate coal and enforce safety regulations.  The Office is primarily responsible for protecting society and the environment from the potentially adverse effects of coal mining. 

Q.  Where else can one find more information about coal in Ohio?
A.  A number of excellent resources are available.  The Division of Geological Survey within the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is an excellent resource for information about Ohio coal and coal mining.  The office may be reached at 614-265-657 or at www.ohiodnr.com/geosurvey..  The Ohio Coal Association is a trade organization dedicated to representing the interests of Ohio’s coal industry.  The Association may be reached at 614-228-6336, or at www.ohiocoal.com.   At the federal level, the U.S. Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy provides a wealth of information about coal, both state-by-state and nationally.  Its website is www.eia.doe.gov.