Brown County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pleasant Township, Sterling Township and Perry Township
Brown County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Brown County is home to Pleasant Township, Sterling Township, Perry Township and Georgetown. Next door, Clinton County has 3 data centers and 300 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 205 MW of capacity, 98% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Brown County
Brown County is home to Pleasant Township, Sterling Township, Perry Township and Georgetown.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Lorelei, Lake Waynoka, St. Martin.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Brown County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 43,684 | 44,397 | ▲ 1.6% | 55th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,848 | 8,026 | ▲ 2.3% | 37th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,448 | $45,542 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 3.8% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 8,026 jobs in 2025, up 2.3% from 2019. Duke Energy Ohio Inc is the largest utility serving Brown County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.00¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 44,397 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Brown County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brown County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Ohio Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 693,435 | 15.00¢ | 26% |
| Dayton Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 478,741 | 15.32¢ | 20% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
| Adams Rural Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Georgetown - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Hamersville - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Ripley - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 200 MW | 98% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcrest Solar | Hillcrest Solar I, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2021 |
| Brown County LFGTE Power Station | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2017 |
The Brown County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,026 | $45,542 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 284 | $65,068 | 0.67 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Brown County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brown County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Adams County, Highland County.
Brown County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Brown County, Clinton County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 44,397 | ▲ 2.3% | 205 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 27,865 | ▲ 17.4% | — | — | — | 2 |
| Bracken County KY | 8,511 | ▲ 27.7% | 105 MW | — | — | — |
| Clermont County | 216,977 | ▲ 5.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| Clinton County | 42,301 | ▲ 5.4% | 50 MW | 300 MW | 3 | — |
| Highland County | 43,823 | ▲ 3.5% | 667 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
| Mason County KY | 16,936 | ▼ 6.0% | 1,608 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Ohio
Brown County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brown County, Ohio?
7 utilities have service territory in Brown County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Ohio Inc, Dayton Power & Light Co, South Central Power Company, Adams Rural Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, charged residential customers 15.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Brown County?
2 operating plants with 205 MW of capacity. The largest is Hillcrest Solar (200 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Brown County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brown County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clinton County.
Is Brown County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,026 jobs in 2025 against 7,848 in 2019 (+2.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Brown County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brown County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.