The use of coal as a source of energy for hydrogen production is desirable because it is widely available, inexpensive, and guarantees long-term availability compared to natural gas. In this study, modeling and simulation of a hydrogen production plant from coal gasification was carried out. The study also optimized process variables affecting hydrogen production for minimum carbon dioxide emissions. Modeling and simulation of a hydrogen plant was carried out using ASPEN One Suites Ver. 11 software, while optimization of process variables was done using response surface methodology (RSM). Central Composite Design (CCD) was used to design the process variables such as carbon ratio (0.715-0.75), gasification temperature (1023.15  –1223.15 K), and pressure (1-3 MPa). The independent variables for hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e-) were correlated using a quadratic model The coal gasification parameters were optimized numerically using the desirability function to maximize the hydrogen produced and minimize the CO2e-. The results reveal that gasification temperature has a greater effect on maximizing hydrogen production and carbon dioxide emission (CO2e-) reduction. Results also showed the optimal conditions for minimizing the cost and maximizing the hydrogen production: a gasification temperature of 1223.15 K, an oxygen to coal ratio of 0.715, and a gasification pressure of 1 MPa.   Keywords: Hydrogen production, optimization, ASPEN, gasification, RSM, Coal Energy.