Ohio Data Centers Are Building Dedicated Power

Ohio data-center development is increasingly being paired with dedicated generation located at or near the computing load. These arrangements are often described as behind-the-meter because electricity can move from the dedicated generator to the customer without first being delivered through the regional grid.

In New Albany, the 200-MW Socrates South natural-gas project was approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board to provide dedicated behind-the-meter electricity to an adjacent data-center load. The generating facility is designed to operate independently of the electric grid connection serving the data center.

PowerConneX / EdgeConneX provides another Ohio example. The first phase of the New Albany Energy Center is designed for up to 120 MW of natural-gas generation and is intended to serve the same-site data center as its primary source of electricity. The project received its OPSB certificate in 2025 and moved into construction.

These examples do not mean the data centers themselves necessarily own the generating plants, nor do they mean every facility is completely disconnected from the grid. Specialized energy developers can own and operate dedicated generation for a data-center customer, while the campus may retain grid service for backup, supplemental power or other needs.

Ohio also has additional dedicated-generation projects proposed, approved or under development. The important trend is therefore broader than any one facility: large data-center loads are increasingly influencing not only how much electricity Ohio needs, but where and how new generation is built.