COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Researchers at Ohio State University say they have developed a way to create energy from coal while eliminating most of the harmful carbon dioxide that comes from burning it.

The scientists say that it's because they don't burn the fossil fuel — they use a chemical reaction to draw its energy.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the researchers are touting it as a huge step toward the promise of "clean coal."

Researchers at OSU say they have been able to chemically burn coal longer than in any other test worldwide.

The work is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. The project is now moving to a larger-scale study at the agency's U.S. National Carbon Capture Center in Wilsonville, Ala.