Data center siting snapshot: Licking 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 169.6 miles of 230 kV-and-above transmission line within Licking County, comprising 30.7 miles at 500 kV or more and 138.9 miles at 345 kV ^[1]. An additional 169.6 miles of 115–161 kV line is mapped in the area ^[2]. Ohio Power and American Electric Power Co. are listed as the owners of record with the most mapped 115 kV+ line miles ^[3]. Four named line endpoints touching 230 kV+ lines are mapped inside the county ^[4]. Retail electric utilities with mapped service territories covering part of the county include Ohio Power, Licking Rural Electric, and Ohio Edison, though these boundaries are approximate ^[5].

Local records show that Granville voters approved a data center ban on November 3, 2026 ^[6]. Pataskala voters also banned large-scale data centers on the same date ^[7]. At the state level, a Governor pause on new data center sales-tax exemption requests is in force ^[8]. AEP Ohio’s data center tariff is in force, noting that pre-tariff requests fell from more than 30 GW to 5,642 MW of signed contracts ^[9]. Several bills are pending, including HB 392, which limits state and local restrictions on computational resources ^[10]. HB 646 proposes a Data Center Study Commission to examine environmental and grid impacts ^[11]. HB 784 requires monthly and yearly water consumption reporting for data centers ^[12]. Finally, SB 374 prohibits new data center sales and use tax exemptions after a specified date ^[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, Licking Rural Electric, Ohio Edison. (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 169.6 miles of 230 kV-and-above transmission line inside Licking County, OH: 30.7 miles at 500 kV or more, 138.9 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 169.6 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: Ohio Power, American Electric Power Co.. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
4. [4] 4 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, Licking Rural Electric, Ohio Edison. Territory boundaries are approximate. Source: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (EIA-861 based; archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
6. [6] Granville (Licking Co.) (village): Nov 3, 2026 ballot measure (Voters approved a data center ban). Status: enacted, dated 2026-11-03. Source: DCD: Local data center moratoria, limits, and restrictions voted in across the US
7. [7] Pataskala (Licking Co.) (city): Nov 3, 2026 ballot measure (Voters banned large-scale data centers). Status: enacted, dated 2026-11-03. Source: DCD: Local data center moratoria, limits, and restrictions voted in across the US
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