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DAYTON — Fifteen Ohio universities with energy research programs are trying to help shape the state's energy future.

Started last year, the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio already has sponsored a workshop with the energy industry and hopes to hire a director later this year, said Mickey McCabe, the University of Dayton vice president for research who is the alliance's board chairman. The universities that formed the voluntary alliance have combined to support it with a $180,000 annual operating budget.

McCabe said the alliance wants to be involved in research to help answer key questions for a nation with abundant coal resources. Those include how to burn coal more cleanly, how to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions that otherwise foul the air and contribute to global warming, and how to convert coal to jet fuel and auto fuel.

In the shorter term, the alliance is working with the Ohio Department of Development to help organize Ohio bids for U.S. Department of Energy funding. The federal money would support research centers around the country with a mission of speeding up efforts to develop cleaner and cheaper sources of energy.

The alliance's universities want to coordinate research efforts with industry to meet needs and focus on technologies that can be commercialized and result in new jobs, McCabe said. That effort began in April when the alliance sponsored a Columbus workshop, led by industry executives, on what needs to be done to help companies find more environmentally friendly energy sources for use in production.

The alliance hopes to conduct at least four other workshops around Ohio, and to make the Columbus workshop an annual event, McCabe said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or

jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Energy alliance member schools

University of Akron

Bowling Green State University

Case Western Reserve University

Central State University

University of Cincinnati

Cleveland State University

University of Dayton

Kent State University

Miami University

The Ohio State University

Ohio University

Shawnee State University

University of Toledo

Wright State University

Youngstown State University