Region becoming energy research hub

For a number of years southeast Ohio has been well on its way establishing itself as an alternative energy hub in the state. And with the Hocking College Energy Institute opening last week, and legislation currently moving through the Statehouse to create the Ohio Energy Research Center at Ohio University, this reputation looks likely to grow.

The $3.2 million, 12,000-square-foot Hocking College Energy Institute opened last week across from the Logan-Hocking Industrial Park in Logan. The building features alternative-energy functions such as geothermal heat. The new institute will host Hocking College students looking to study alternative energy.

Hocking College offers two advanced-energy associate degree programs. The first focuses on fuel cells and alternative energy, training students to construct, install, test and troubleshoot various kinds of alternative energy equipment. The next program focuses on training technicians for hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, including those that use fuel cells in electrical systems, the college's Web site explains.

The project's costs were covered by a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, while the rest of the money came from a $192,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and monies from the college.

The location of the institute across from the industrial park, a press release announcing construction said, was chosen with hopes of revitalizing the park, attracting high-tech firms specializing in advanced energy. The park currently houses a national testing lab for biofuels and a company that makes soy-based insulation.

"This investment in Hocking College will help generate a commercial environment that will attract entrepreneurs, businesses and capital," former U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said announcing the grant funds for the project.

Students enrolled in the institute will have the opportunity to observe and learn alternative energy and green construction practices from the building and its systems, the release said. The building will use about 35 to 40 percent of the energy of a normal building with much of its electricity and hot water produced through solar technology. The building features photovoltaic solar panels, exposed mechanical systems, a sod roof and other green construction techniques. Although these features upped construction costs, the release cited estimates suggesting that those costs will be recouped through energy savings within four years.

Institute Director Jerry Hutton said in the release that he envisions a day when students can walk across the street to the industrial park for their internships.

The institute is expected to create 90 new jobs and $3.4 million in private investment, according to Gutierrez in the press release.

MEANWHILE, STATE REP. Debbie Phillips, D-Athens, gave sponsor testimony last week on House Bill 87, which would create the Ohio Energy Resource Center at OU's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.

Phillips said that the center would ensure Ohio is well positioned to continue to bring clean-energy jobs to Ohio. The center, Phillips testified, would provide information and assistance for Ohioans to make effective use of available resources. The center will make referrals to the appropriate programs and funding sources as well as directly providing technical assistance in the Appalachian region.

Funded through the Advanced Energy Fund, the center will serve as a clearinghouse for information about clean-energy, advanced-energy and energy-efficiency projects, Phillips said.

It will also utilize research that is underway at Ohio institutions and resources available to support those projects, she continued. The center will provide technical assistance to state and local governments, political subdivisions and businesses located in the Appalachian region in their projects related to advanced and clean energy and energy efficiency, Phillips said.

"I intend to request an amendment that would add mercantile customers to those eligible for that technical assistance," Phillips testified.

She pointed to the Voinovich School's work in bringing people together to solve energy problems already. One example, Phillips said, is the interactive Web site, database and mapping tools the school developed for the Great Lakes WIND Network, which connects companies who supply or have the potential to supply parts for wind manufacturing.

"I believe that the Ohio Energy Resource Center will enable us to move forward strategically to make the best possible use of the increasing interest and need for clean- and advanced-energy research, development and commercialization," Phillips said.

Ohio is a national leader in the energy sector, Phillips pointed out during her testimony. She cited figures from Gov. Ted Strickland energy adviser Mark Shanahan placing Ohio as the seventh largest energy-consuming state in the nation. Other figures from Shanahan include Ohio spending more than $45 billion annually on energy and having the third most aggressive renewable-energy standards in the country.

"Clearly, Ohio is a significant player in the energy economy," Phillips said. "Ohio has a trained workforce in the energy sector, and we must continue to provide opportunities for that workforce to grow."