Ohio Natural Energy Institute

What Ohio Natural Energy Institute does

The Ohio Natural Energy Institute (ONEi), founded in 1998 in Granville, Ohio and rebranded from the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) in March 2023, is a nonprofit statewide education and public outreach organization for Ohio's natural gas and oil industry. It is established and funded under Ohio Revised Code 1510 via a statutory assessment of $0.05 per gross barrel of crude oil/condensate and $0.005 per gross Mcf of natural gas, remitted quarterly by first purchasers and marketers, with a 13-member Operating Committee Board providing governance. Programs are entirely free to participants and serve four primary constituencies: K-12 educators and students (STEM/geology teacher workshops with CE credits, classroom kits, augmented reality sand tables, field trips, and a $1,500/year scholarship program up to four years); first responders (GOSAFER training combining virtual and hands-on modules delivering 11 CE hours, the only program of its kind nationally for natural gas/oil emergencies); the industry workforce pipeline (career days, 75+ career pathways, OVAC STEM Trivia Challenge via mobile gaming); and the general public and policymakers (Essential Ohio Energy campaign generating 62.9M impressions across TV and digital channels, opinion letters, specialty license plate, dirt track racing sponsorships, and partner media).

The organization has no proprietary technology product; its core 'product' is a curated library of state-aligned STEM curriculum, classroom kits, and training modules developed and distributed over 25+ years, delivered through direct program delivery, its Squarespace-hosted website, social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn), and partner organizations including Ohio FFA Camp Muskingum and Youngstown State University. Revenue mechanics rest on three streams: the mandated statutory producer assessment (primary), tax-deductible donations through the affiliated Ohio Natural Energy Foundation 501(c)(3), and the Essential Ohio Energy specialty license plate sold through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Sponsorship support comes from a broad coalition of Ohio natural gas and oil producers and midstream operators, including Encino Energy, Ascent Resources, MPLX, Williams, Expand Energy, Infinity Natural Resources, API Ohio, OOGA, EQT Foundation, Equitrans Midstream Foundation, Southwestern Energy, and WEN Ohio, with the leadership team of seven executing operations under Executive Director Bruce Tague.

Name

Ohio Natural Energy Institute

Legal name

Ohio Natural Energy Institute

Website

https://ohionaturalenergy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ohio Natural Energy Institute is a Granville, Ohio-based nonprofit (founded 1998, rebranded 2023) that delivers free statewide energy education and outreach for Ohio's natural gas and oil industry. It funds scholarships, teacher workshops, and the GOSAFER first responder training program via a statutory producer assessment under Ohio Revised Code 1510.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389), Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (1311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMABAB

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/STEM Enrichment & Science Programs

SECONDARYEDAMABAD

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/STEM Enrichment & Science Programs

Keywords

• Energy education programs
• First responder training
• STEM curriculum
• Scholarship programs
• Public outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Pataskala

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Statutory Producer Assessment: ONEi is funded by an assessment on all natural gas and crude oil produced in Ohio, per Ohio Revised Code 1510. Five cents ($0.05) per gross barrel of crude oil/condensate and one-half cent ($0.005) per gross Mcf of natural gas. First purchasers/marketers collect and remit within 45 days after each quarter. Horizontal shale producers may opt for a direct assessment pay option approved by the operating committee.
2. Donations and Contributions: ONEi receives tax-deductible donations through PayPal and check, payable to the Ohio Natural Energy Foundation (501(c)(3)). Donations support scholarship awards and energy education efforts.
3. Specialty License Plate Revenue: The Essential Ohio Energy specialty license plate is available through the Ohio BMV. Revenue from each plate sold provides additional financial resources for ONEi's energy education and scholarship programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Ohio Natural Energy Institute delivers a unified portfolio of free statewide education and public outreach programs for Ohio's natural gas and oil industry, including STEM and geology teacher workshops with continuing education credits, the GOSAFER first responder emergency training program, scholarships ($1,500/year for up to four years) for students pursuing energy careers, K-12 STEM curriculum materials, augmented reality classroom tools, and the Essential Ohio Energy public education campaign. All programs are provided at no cost to participants and underwritten by industry producer assessments, foundation grants, and donor contributions.

Product overview

The Ohio Natural Energy Institute (formerly Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program) operates as an educational nonprofit focused on natural gas and oil industry education. The organization offers a unified portfolio of programs centered on workforce development and public education, including a scholarship program for students pursuing energy careers ($1,500/year for up to 4 years), teacher workshops (STEM and geology), GOSAFER first responder training, K-12 STEM curriculum and materials, the Essential Ohio Energy specialty license plate program, and the OVAC High School STEM Trivia Challenge. These offerings work together to educate Ohioans about the essential energy industry through classrooms, community events, and emergency responder training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GOSAFER Training Program Free first responder safety training program combining virtual and hands-on modules covering natural gas and oil emergency response, HAZMAT, H2S awareness, and live-burn scenarios. The only training of its kind in the United States for the natural gas and oil industry, providing 11 CE hours and offered to Ohio firefighters, EMS personnel, and public safety officials.
• Ohio Natural Energy Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program awarding $1,500 per year (increased from $1,000 prior to 2025) for up to four years to students pursuing natural gas and oil careers. Open to U.S. citizens who are Ohio residents or attending Ohio institutions, with a minimum 2.5 GPA requirement. The 2026 class included 27 students, and the 2025 class included 48 students honored at the Annual Ohio Energy Student Scholarship Breakfast.
• OVAC High School STEM Trivia Challenge Mobile gaming-based STEM trivia competition for OVAC member school high school students in Ohio, powered by ONEi. Engages students with energy industry content through gamification, with scholarship and STEM grant prizes for top performers and winning schools.
• STEM Curriculum and Classroom Materials Free hands-on STEM education kits, classroom materials, and state-aligned curriculum boxes distributed to K-12 schools across Ohio. Programs teach students about natural gas and oil production through interactive lessons and align with state science standards. Includes 'Fueling Your Future' classroom kits and downloadable educator resources.
• State Land Leasing Education Program Educational outreach resources explaining Ohio's state land leasing program for oil and gas development, covering economic benefits, environmental considerations, and public-private partnership information. Revenue from state land leasing operations supports ONEi's education programs and partner facilities.
• Essential Ohio Energy License Plate Program Specialty license plate program available through Ohio BMV branches, promoting Ohio's natural gas and oil industry. Revenue from each plate sold provides financial resources for ONEi's energy education efforts and scholarship programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 782 scholarships totaling $829,000 awarded to 474 students from 75 Ohio counties since 2007
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Muskingum County SpeedwaycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 April 2026Muskingum County Speedway in Dresden, Ohio is a historic dirt track racing venue with ties to Ohio's oil and gas industry. ONEi sponsors three racing events per season: Essential Ohio Energy Opening Night (April 25, 2026), Ronnie Moran Memorial (May 16, 2026), and the Shale Crescent Dirt Cup featuring Lucas Oil vs. World of Outlaws (June 10, 2026). The partnership honors oilfield workers and connects ONEi with Ohio communities through motorsports.
• Youngstown State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Charlie Dixon, ONEi's Senior Fire Safety Advisor and head of GoSafer Training, serves on the Youngstown State University Fire Science Advisory Board. The board supports excellence and growth of YSU's Fire Science program. This partnership connects ONEi's first responder training expertise with university fire science curriculum and helps shape the next generation of fire service professionals.
• Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2024OVAC is the largest high school athletic conference in the United States, representing schools across Ohio and West Virginia. ONEi became OVAC's newest Corporate Partner to sponsor the 'OVAC High School STEM Trivia Challenge powered by the Ohio Natural Energy Institute.' The competition uses a mobile gaming platform to engage high school students across OVAC's Ohio member schools in STEM education for the 2024-25 school year. The top student receives a $1,500 scholarship from the Ohio Natural Energy Foundation and the winning school receives a $1,500 STEM initiative grant.
• Ohio FFA Camp MuskingumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio FFA Camp Muskingum is the only FFA camp in Ohio and has been a cornerstone of youth development since 1944. ONEi has partnered with the camp to teach students about the natural gas and oil industry and share educational resources. ONEi has hosted its STEM Teacher Workshop at the camp for two consecutive years. Revenue from state land leasing and energy operations financially supports the camp's infrastructure, including renovation of its visitor lodge and amphitheater.
• Encino EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEncino Energy, Ohio's largest oil producer, is a key sponsor of ONEi's teacher workshops and field trips, including meal sponsorship and production pad site visits for educators.
• Encino EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEncino Energy co-hosted the 2025 Annual Ohio Energy Student Scholarship Breakfast alongside MPLX and Infinity Natural Resources.
• MPLXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMPLX (midstream energy company) co-hosted the 2025 Annual Ohio Energy Student Scholarship Breakfast alongside Encino Energy and Infinity Natural Resources, and participated in the Utica Shale Academy Career Day.
• Infinity Natural ResourcesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInfinity Natural Resources co-hosted the 2025 Annual Ohio Energy Student Scholarship Breakfast alongside Encino Energy and MPLX.
• WilliamsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWilliams is a key sponsor of ONEi's teacher workshops, providing field trip site visits to gas plants for educators.
• American Petroleum Institute (API)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAPI meal-sponsored ONEi's 2024 teacher workshops and participated in the Utica Shale Academy Career Day, representing the national oil and gas industry trade association.
• WEN OhiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerWEN Ohio (previously Antero Resources) meal-sponsored ONEi's 2024 teacher workshops.
• Southwestern EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSouthwestern Energy donated $50 'Fueling Your Future' gift cards to teachers attending ONEi's workshops.
• Expand EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExpand Energy sponsored ONEi's 2025 teacher workshops by providing 'Fueling Your Future' gift cards and has partnered on mobile GoSafer first responder training in production areas.
• Expand EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExpand Energy partnered with Infinity Resources to conduct mobile GoSafer training, bringing first responder safety education to departments in oil and gas production areas at no cost.
• Infinity ResourcesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInfinity Resources partnered with Expand Energy to conduct mobile GoSafer first responder training in production areas.
• Ascent ResourcesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAscent Resources, Ohio's largest natural gas producer and 8th largest in the U.S., donated $150,000 in equipment and services to Wayne County's Regional Training Facility for first responder training. The company also donated STEM curriculum materials to approximately 2,100 elementary students in eastern Ohio.
• Equitrans Midstream FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Equitrans Midstream Foundation made possible the new virtual training modules for ONEi's GoSafer first responder program.
• EQT FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe EQT Foundation provided a grant that supported the revamped content for ONEi's 2022 teacher workshops focused on geology and STEM.
• Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOOGA, the state trade association for Ohio's oil and gas industry, partners with ONEi on events including the Utica Shale Academy Career Day and has worked with ONEi for over a decade. OOGA publishes the Drill Bit Magazine which ONEi's website links to as an industry news resource.
• JobsOhiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerJobsOhio, Ohio's private nonprofit economic development corporation, partners with Cleveland State University to publish semi-annual shale investment reports that ONEi references and promotes through its news channels.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB): Oklahoma's state-level oil and natural gas education and conservation organization, also funded by a statutory assessment on production. OERB operates the same model as ONEi — teacher workshops, scholarships, public outreach, and industry-funded STEM programming — making it the closest structural analog and the natural benchmark for ONEi's operating model.
• Energy Workforce & Technology Council: National energy services and technology council focused on workforce development, scholarships, and pipeline programs for the oil and gas industry. Operates programs that compete for the same corporate sponsorships and target the same student populations as ONEi's career pathways work.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA): Texas's primary oil and gas trade association with education and workforce development programming. TXOGA represents a broader, larger-scale, multi-stakeholder trade group that complements its advocacy work with educational outreach — comparable in mission overlap though operating at much larger scale than ONEi.
• National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project: National nonprofit providing energy curriculum, teacher training, and student programs across all energy sources. NEED is a broader incumbent in the same K-12 energy education category where ONEi competes for teacher attention and curriculum adoption time.
• Project Lead the Way (PLTW): Leading national STEM curriculum provider for K-12 schools, particularly in engineering and computer science. PLTW competes with ONEi-aligned curriculum for limited classroom time and teacher adoption, though its focus is broader than energy-specific.
• American Petroleum Institute (API): National oil and gas industry trade association with significant public outreach and education programming. API is a partner of ONEi (sponsoring teacher workshops and career days) but also a competitor for industry education dollars and audience share at the national level.

Regional players

• Marcellus Shale Coalition / Marcellus Education Institute: Regional education and outreach organization serving the Appalachian Basin shale-producing region across Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Operates similar teacher training, scholarship, and public engagement programs targeting overlapping energy-producing geography as ONEi.
• North Dakota Petroleum Council: State-level oil and gas industry association in North Dakota's Bakken region, with workforce development and education components. Comparable in mission and state-level industry-funded structure but operating in a different producing basin and state.

Emerging players

• Junior Achievement (JA): National youth workforce and financial literacy education nonprofit. While not energy-specific, JA competes for the same teacher workshop slots, student attention, and corporate sponsorship dollars targeting K-12 career exploration that ONEi programs rely on.

Others

• AAPG Foundation: Foundation arm of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, which awarded ONEi its Presidential Award. AAPG Foundation funds geoscience education and teacher programs, making it a potential funder, partner, and partial substitute for geology-related curriculum development work ONEi conducts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OHNaturalEnergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/OHNaturalEnergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohnaturalenergy
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohnaturalenergy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ohio Natural Energy Institute