Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has officially launched a new partnership between various public and private entities to help further the production of storage for fuel, wind, and solar energy while also adding jobs throughout the state.

The Ohio Energy Gateway Fund will consist of $40 million in state and federal funding and at least $40 million more through partnerships with private capital resources.

Among the organizations that will work together on the fund will be the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, the Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's State Energy Program.

"The Ohio Energy Gateway Fund combines federal and state stimulus dollars to leverage significant private investment," said Mark Shanahan, an energy adviser to Strickland and executive director of OAQD. "This partnership supports our broader strategy to lay a foundation for Ohio's long-term economic growth by investing in high-growth potential advanced energy companies."

Lisa Patt-McDaniel, the director of the state DOD, added that the fund would help to keep jobs within the state by attracting energy companies to open up businesses with in the state that need employees.