Butler County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to West Chester Township, Hamilton and Middletown
Butler County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Butler County. Electrical contractors employ 1,149, up 72.0% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $129,539 a year. Butler County is home to West Chester Township, Hamilton, most of Middletown (48,152 of its 52,146 residents) and Liberty Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Six-month data center moratorium”. 10 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by ENGIE Distributed Renewables Development LLC (solar). 10 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Butler County
Butler County is home to West Chester Township, Hamilton, most of Middletown (48,152 of its 52,146 residents) and Liberty Township.
And 1 smaller places.
- Middletown also extends into Warren County.
- Sharonville also extends into Hamilton County.
- College Corner also extends into Preble County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beckett Ridge, Darrtown, Four Bridges, Olde West Chester, Ross, Somerville, Wetherington, Williamsdale, Woodsdale.
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 Butler County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 390,845 | 400,128 | ▲ 2.4% | 7th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 157,990 | 163,638 | ▲ 3.6% | 26th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,446 | $67,229 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,802 | 9,264 | ▲ 18.7% | 17th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 668 | 1,149 | ▲ 72.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 275 | 377 | ▲ 37.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 118 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 10 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 22nd of 22 by size |
Construction employs 9,264, up 18.7% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,084 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in Ohio. 118 MW has retired here since 2019, including Hamilton (OH) (natural gas, 111 MW, 2021). Employers here counted 163,638 jobs in 2025, up 3.6% from 2019. Duke Energy Ohio Inc is the largest utility serving Butler County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.00¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 400,128 people live here, up 2.4% since 2020, 7th of 88 Ohio counties by population.
Who powers Butler County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −118 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Butler 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% |
| City of Hamilton - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 26,964 | 15.44¢ | 52% |
| Butler Rural Electric Coop Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,374 | 18.16¢ | 7% |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,015 MW | 97% |
| Other technologies | 67 MW | 3% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | Duke Energy Indiana, LLC | Natural gas | 692 MW | 2000 |
| Woodsdale | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc | Natural gas | 572 MW | 1992 |
| Middletown Energy Center | Ohio Power Partners, LLC | Natural gas | 544 MW | 2018 |
| Dick's Creek | Luminant Dick's Creek | Natural gas | 159 MW | 1965 |
| Middletown Coke Company, LLC | SunCoke Energy, Inc. | Other technologies | 67 MW | 2011 |
| Hamilton Peaking | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Natural gas | 32 MW | 2000 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Solar - (OH) | Solar Photovoltaic | 10 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | ENGIE Distributed Renewables Development LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton (OH) | Natural gas | 111 MW | 2021 |
| Wausau Paper Middletown | Coal | 8 MW | 2019 |
The Butler County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 163,638 | $67,229 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 9,264 | $91,076 | 1.07 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,149 | $129,539 | 0.97 |
| Electric utilities | 377 | $121,473 | 0.85 |
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 Butler County
2 data centers in Butler County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Butler County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Butler County, Hamilton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 400,128 | ▲ 3.6% | 2,084 MW | 10 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Dearborn County IN | 51,609 | ▲ 4.7% | 1,232 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Franklin County IN | 23,286 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hamilton County | 838,418 | ▼ 1.2% | 1,238 MW | — | 13 | — |
| Montgomery County | 539,598 | ▼ 1.5% | 855 MW | 108 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Preble County | 40,664 | ▲ 8.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County IN | 6,863 | ▲ 23.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Warren County | 257,181 | ▲ 5.5% | 20 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
More of Ohio
Butler County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Butler County, Ohio?
4 utilities have service territory in Butler County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Ohio Inc, Dayton Power & Light Co, City of Hamilton - (OH), Butler Rural Electric Coop Inc - (OH). The largest, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, charged residential customers 15.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is West Chester Township, OH in?
West Chester Township is in Butler County, Ohio. About 67,165 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hamilton, OH in?
Hamilton is in Butler County, Ohio. About 64,644 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Middletown, OH in?
Most of Middletown is in Butler County: 48,152 of its 52,146 residents, or 92%. The rest of the city lies in Warren County.
What power plants are in Butler County?
8 operating plants with 2,084 MW of capacity. The largest is Madison (692 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Butler County?
10 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 10 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is ENGIE Distributed Renewables Development LLC.
Are there data centers in Butler County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Butler County.
Is Butler County adding jobs?
Employers counted 163,638 jobs in 2025 against 157,990 in 2019 (+3.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,802 to 9,264.
Does Butler County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Butler County, 1 in force.