COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority recently approved financing for five new projects from the $150 million advanced energy portion of the Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Program. Gov. Ted Strickland and Mark R. Shanahan, OAQDA executive director and the governor’s energy adviser, made the announcement following OAQDA’s monthly meeting.
The final step in the approval process for the projects will occur Nov. 22 when the state controlling board next meets.
The projects authorized for funding include:
CODA Automotive, Inc.
CODA Automotive, Inc. (Columbus, Franklin County) will produce automotive grade lithium ion cells to make 34 kWH battery packs with advanced thermal management and battery management electronics, for use in electric vehicles. They will retrofit a manufacturing facility in Columbus at the former Lucent Technology building. CODA Automotive was authorized for a $10,000,000 stimulus loan. The project will generate 1,000 new jobs in its first phase and up to 2,100 at full production. Total project investment is $711,000,000.
SCI Engineered Technologies, Inc.
SCI Engineered Technologies, Inc. (Columbus, Franklin County) was authorized for a loan of $1,365,780 to assist the company in expanding its capacity to manufacture high-temperature superconductivity material. SCI will use the funds to purchase machinery and equipment to meet the growing demand for its products in the creation of thin-film solar panels used by the solar energy industry. The project will create 50 new full-time jobs and retain another 26 jobs. Total project investment is $3,003,780.
Stark County Port Authority
Stark County Port Authority (Canton, Stark County) was authorized for a loan of $1,530,000 to assist in the establishment of the Wind Energy Research and Development Center on property owned by the college. The Center will conduct wind energy testing of ultra-large main-shaft bearing systems over 10 feet in outer diameter. The project will create eight new full-time jobs and 57 temporary construction jobs. Total project investment is $11,847,864.
Turning Point Solar LLC
Turning Point Solar LLC (for a project to be located outside of Cumberland, Ohio, Muskingum and Noble counties) was authorized for a loan of $7,612,500 to assist in the construction of a 49.9 megawatt solar-powered electric generation station on yet-undefined land within 500 acres of reclaimed strip mine lands owned by American Electric Power. The project will create 20 new full-time jobs and 312 full-and part-time construction jobs. Total project investment is $220,112,500.
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (for a project to be conducted in Belmont, Scioto, Tuscarawas and Warren counties) was authorized to receive an Ohio Coal Development Office grant of $385,570 for the project Geophysical and Geochemical Properties of Reservoir and Cap Rock for Carbon Sequestration in Ohio. The grant will supplement two previous OCDO grants aimed at better characterizing the potential for Ohio geological formations to serve as permanent storage for carbon dioxide. The project will be conducted at existing wells in Belmont, Scioto, Tuscarawas and Warren Counties. Total project investment is $470,396.
