Coal-to-liquid fuel project meets Obama’s energy goal

President-elect Barack Obama has made it clear that his hundreds of billions of dollars economic stimulus program he intends to launch shortly after taking office on Jan. 20 will give priority to projects that are ready to go. Obama’s goal is to put more than 1 million Americans to work within six months.

There is a project in Columbiana County that will enable the new president to hit the ground running and help him keep a major campaign promise: To make America energy independent.

The $6 billion coal-to-liquid fuel plant planned by Baard Energy of Vancouver, Wash., is scheduled for ground breaking early next. The plant will be built on a 600-acre site off state Route 7 in Wellsville along the Ohio River. Thousands of construction jobs will be created over five years. When operational, the plant will need 225 full-time workers with at least an associate degree.

John Baardson, president of the company, is not looking for cash from the federal government, but only for loan guarantees. Baardson has been seeking private financing for the project.

The federal loan guarantees for a project of this magnitude and environmental impact are a drop in the bucket that contains $700 billion to bailout the nation’s financial institutions and $25 billion for the auto industry to retool its assembly plants so General Motors, Chrysler and Ford can produce fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles.

Indeed, Congress this week is expected to approve bridge loans for the Big Three auto makers, which are struggling to stave off bankruptcy. The $15 billion would come out of the $25 billion allocation for plant upgrades.

By contrast, Baard Energy is only looking for a commitment from the Air Force to use the synthetic fuel that will be extracted from high-sulfur coal, which is in abundance in Ohio.

This region’s two congressmen, Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, and Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland have embraced the project and are working closely with federal officials to secure the federal contracts.

Key permits

The Ohio Environmental Agency has approved three key permits — air quality, wetlands and wastewater quality — that allows the project to move forward.

From Columbiana County commissioners to Wellsville village officials to state and federal legislators to the Strickland administration, the support for this project is unquestioned.

Ohio’s intermodal transportation system in this region makes the arguments for going forward all the more compelling.

Indeed, a byproduct of the coal-to-liquid plan would be electricity that could either be owned by the Columbiana County Port Authority or Baard Energy, said authority Chief Executive Director Tracy Drake. Drake has been a major player in making the project a reality.

The economic impact not only on Columbiana County, but on the entire region is evident. With thousands of construction jobs created, all three counties in the Mahoning Valley will benefit.

In addition, there will be a demand for housing during the construction period and when the plant is operating.

President-elect Obama has called on Americans to be creative in dealing with the greening of the nation.

His administration would certainly get a lot of mileage out of a project that takes coal and cleanly turns it into high quality fuel. Obama should make sure there aren’t any impediments from Washington to the project going forward.