Ohio’s Dependence on Imported Coal

Ohio experienced a significant economic drain in 2008 due to its heavy reliance on imported coal, spending a net $1.49 billion on these imports. The document highlights that coal provided 85.2% of the state's electricity in 2008 and suggests that transitioning to energy efficiency and homegrown renewables, such as wind and solar, can stimulate local economic development and increase energy independence.

• In 2008, Ohio's power plants imported nearly three-quarters of the coal they used, resulting in $1.87 billion sent out of state. After accounting for $381 million in coal exports from in-state mines, the state's net expenditure on imported coal was $1.49 billion, ranking it 5th highest in net imports and 6th highest in net weight (32.7 million tons) compared to other states.
• First Energy Generation is the largest importer of coal in Ohio, accounting for 30% of the state's gross total with $570 million in purchases. Specifically, the W.H. Sammis plant in Stratton spent $291 million on coal imports, making it the highest-spending plant in the state and the 21st largest source of carbon dioxide emissions among coal plants nationwide.
• Ohio's electricity generation in 2008 was dominated by coal at 85.2%, the second-highest percentage among the states profiled. Other sources included nuclear (11.4%), natural gas (1.6%), and others below 1.1%.
• To reduce coal dependence, Ohio implemented an energy efficiency resource standard in 2008 requiring utilities to reduce power demand by an average of 1.3% annually from 2009 to 2025. Additionally, the state has a renewable electricity standard requiring at least 12.5% of power needs to be met by renewables by 2025.
• Ohio has the technical potential to generate nearly 1.3 times its 2008 electricity demand from renewables, primarily wind and bioenergy. Current developments include three large-scale wind projects totaling nearly 500 MW and an expansion of First Solar's Perryville manufacturing facility, which will produce 213 MW of PV modules annually and support over 1,000 jobs.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2010). Ohio’s Dependence on Imported Coal. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Ohio.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Ohio’s Dependence on Imported Coal. 2010. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Ohio.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Ohio’s Dependence on Imported Coal |date=May 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Ohio.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2010ohios, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Ohio’s Dependence on Imported Coal}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Ohio.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }