Being blunt:
“How long will it take you until you know that it works?” Strickland asked.
“It already works,” said Clemens Halene, quasar’s Vice President of Engineering. He took the governor outside, to show him the heat already being generated from the unit.
quasar was awarded $2 million from Ohio’s Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program in December — an initiative to help connect research of new technologies, with the commercial sector.
Room to grow
The company’s president, Mel Kurtz, said the state could justify 7,000 digesters like the one built in Wooster, enough to produce 25 percent of the motor vehicle fuel consumed in Ohio.
He admits those are tall numbers, and at a time when livestock farmers are facing many challenges, including a struggling dairy market. But what Ohioans and farmers get back — clean water, fertilizer and energy, make it attractive.
The digester is being built by local builder Simonson Construction Services, of Ashland, Ohio. And it’s using local materials and local subcontractors.
”I’m happy to hear that much of the work and much of the actual equipment here comes from Ohio, and comes from the local industry and you’re using local workers providing local employment,” Strickland said.
Strickland seemed impressed with the number of benefits — new energy, improved air and water quality and a fertilizer byproduct.
“I haven’t seen a downside to this process yet,” he said toward the end of his tour.
Energy independence
Digesters also are one more effort toward independence from foreign oil — a commodity he said has kept Ohioans hostage.
“It seems to me that there’s been a major shift in public attitude as a result of that,” he said. “And now we are looking for things that we can do for ourselves that will help meet our energy needs.”
While in Cleveland, the Governor discussed the “viable” resources of Lake Erie. Because the lake is fairly shallow offshore, potential exists for offshore wind turbines.
He said Ohio already has mapped the lake and determined it is a good location for turbines, and an excellent location for fish production.
Center of Excellence:
The Governor will continue his visit to OSU March 30 — this time on the main campus in Columbus — where he will help announce Ohio’s Center of Excellence in Agriculture, Food Production and Bioproducts — an honor that recognizes OSU’s efforts to align itself with industries that drive the State’s economy.
He will be joined by Ohio Agriculture Director Robert Boggs; Eric Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents; and Bobby Moser, dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
|
