Data center siting snapshot: Delaware County, Ohio

Line miles are measured from the archived HIFLD Transmission Lines layer inside the Census county boundary. Mapped lines are not available capacity.

What the public record shows

The archived HIFLD map records approximately 125.8 miles of 230 kV and above transmission line within Delaware County, Ohio, comprising 25.6 miles at 500 kV or more and 100.2 miles at 345 kV ^[1]. An additional 139.4 miles of 115–161 kV line are mapped in the county ^[2]. American Electric Power Co., City of Westerville (OH), and Dayton Power and Light hold the most mapped 115 kV+ line miles ^[3]. Two named line endpoints touching 230 kV+ lines are mapped inside the county ^[4]. Retail electric utilities with mapped service territory covering part of the county include Ohio Power, Ohio Edison, Consolidated Cooperative, and City of Columbus (OH) ^[5].

Local records show a Nov 3, 2026 ballot measure in Sunbury banning data centers over 25 MW, which is enacted ^[6]. Trenton Township has a resolution imposing a temporary moratorium on zoning certificates, site plans, and development applications for data centers, which is in force ^[7]. At the state level, a Governor pause on new data center sales-tax exemption requests is in force ^[8]. AEP Ohio has a PUCO-approved data center tariff with specific contract terms, which is in force ^[9]. Several bills are pending, including HB 392 limiting restrictions on computational resources ^[10], HB 646 creating a Data Center Study Commission ^[11], HB 784 requiring water consumption reporting ^[12], and SB 374 prohibiting new sales and use tax exemptions ^[13].

Drafted by our local model from the numbered facts below, then checked sentence by sentence by a second model and a rules-based check.

Data center rules on record

Rule records come from The MW Desk legislation tracker, which includes rows from the Moratorium Nation dataset by Michael J. Bommarito (CC BY 4.0). Statuses change; confirm with the jurisdiction's own record.

Utilities on record

Ohio Power, Ohio Edison, Consolidated Cooperative, City of Columbus (OH). (HIFLD/EIA-861 territory polygons; approximate and often overlapping.)

Market context on The MW Desk: Columbus / Central Ohio.

Sources

1. [1] The archived HIFLD map shows about 125.8 miles of 230 kV-and-above transmission line inside Delaware County, OH: 25.6 miles at 500 kV or more, 100.2 miles at 345 kV and 0.0 miles at 230 kV. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
2. [2] The same map shows about 139.4 miles of 115–161 kV line in the county. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
3. [3] Owners of record with the most mapped 115 kV+ line miles in the county: American Electric Power Co., City of Westerville (OH), Dayton Power and Light. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
4. [4] 2 named line endpoints touching 230 kV+ lines (usually substations or switchyards) are mapped inside the county. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
5. [5] Retail electric utilities whose mapped service territory covers part of the county include: Ohio Power, Ohio Edison, Consolidated Cooperative, City of Columbus (OH). Territory boundaries are approximate. Source: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (EIA-861 based; archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
6. [6] Sunbury (Delaware Co.) (city): Nov 3, 2026 ballot measure (Voters banned data centers over 25 MW). Status: enacted, dated 2026-11-03. Source: DCD: Local data center moratoria, limits, and restrictions voted in across the US
7. [7] Trenton Township (Delaware County) (township): Trenton Township Board of Trustees resolution imposing a temporary moratorium on zoning certificates, site plans and development applications for data centers in unincorporated Trenton Township (resol. Status: in force, dated 2026-04-01. Source: Delaware Gazette
8. [8] Ohio state/utility level, Ohio: Governor pause on new data center sales-tax exemption requests. Status: in force, dated 2026-05-27. Source: Ohio Governor: DeWine announces pause of data center tax exemption
9. [9] Ohio state/utility level, AEP Ohio: AEP Ohio data center tariff (PUCO-approved) (Collateral, minimum demand charges, 8-12-year contracts and exit fees. More than 30 GW of pre-tariff requests fell to 5,642 MW of signed contracts (Feb 12, 2026), plus 12,219 MW signed before the tariff). Status: in force, dated 2026-02-12. Source: AEP Ohio: Data Center Tariff
10. [10] Ohio state/utility level, Ohio: HB 392 (Ohio Right to Compute Act; limits state and local restrictions on computational resources, with AI risk-management requirements and nuisance language tied to physical infrastructure). Status: pending, dated 2026-06-10. Source: HB 392 - Ohio Right to Compute Act - 136th GA
11. [11] Ohio state/utility level, Ohio: HB 646 (Creates Data Center Study Commission to study environmental impacts, grid and rate effects, water and wastewater, noise, light, local economy, farmland, national security, and opposition messaging; report due within six months if enacted). Status: pending, dated 2026-06-10. Source: HB 646 - Data Center Study Commission - 136th GA
12. [12] Ohio state/utility level, Ohio: HB 784 (Requires monthly and yearly data center water consumption reporting and prohibits data center water-use information in nondisclosure agreements with political subdivisions). Status: pending, dated 2026-03-25. Source: HB 784 - data center water consumption reports - 136th GA
13. [13] Ohio state/utility level, Ohio: SB 374 (Prohibits new data center sales and use tax exemptions after a specified date, reported as 2027-10-01). Status: pending, dated 2026-03-25. Source: SB 374 status/action history