Franklin County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Columbus, Jackson Township and Grove City
The data center boom is not abstract in Franklin County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 56 data centers in Franklin County, 30% of Ohio's total. Franklin County is home to most of Columbus (911,199 of its 938,396 residents), Jackson Township, Grove City and Washington Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Electrical contractors employ 7,457, up 59.1% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $101,193 a year. Construction employs 38,749, up 35.3% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to most of Columbus (911,199 of its 938,396 residents), Jackson Township, Grove City and Washington Township.
And 16 smaller places.
- Columbus also extends into Delaware County, Fairfield County.
- Dublin also extends into Union County, Delaware County.
- Reynoldsburg also extends into Licking County, Fairfield County.
- Westerville also extends into Delaware County.
- New Albany also extends into Licking County.
- Canal Winchester also extends into Fairfield County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blacklick Estates, Darbydale, Huber Ridge, Lake Darby, Lincoln Village.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,324,478 | 1,361,536 | ▲ 2.8% | 1st of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 765,429 | 791,805 | ▲ 3.4% | 28th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,981 | $75,913 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28,630 | 38,749 | ▲ 35.3% | 8th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,687 | 7,457 | ▲ 59.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,339 | 1,425 | ▲ 6.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,748 | 3,741 | ▲ 36.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 400 MW | 2597% of today's fleet | 1st of 22 by size |
400 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Invenergy Services LLC (solar), the largest pipeline among Ohio's counties. 400 MW of it is already under construction or built. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Model Gas Power Station (other technologies, 3 MW, 2023). 7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 791,805 jobs in 2025, up 3.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 53% of it petroleum. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Franklin County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 1,361,536 people live here, up 2.8% since 2020, 1st of 88 Ohio counties by population.
Who powers Franklin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Franklin County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,339,232 | 19.33¢ | 22% |
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| Duke Energy Ohio Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 693,435 | 15.00¢ | 26% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
| Licking Rural Electric Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,820 | 16.88¢ | 7% |
| Consolidated Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,897 | 16.11¢ | 24% |
| City of Westerville - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 15,713 | 13.19¢ | 58% |
| City of Columbus - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 15,510 | 11.32¢ | 13% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 53% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 23% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 18% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tosoh SMD | Onsite Partners, LLC | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2023 |
| Jackson Pike WWTP Cogen Engines | City of Columbus - (OH) | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2026 |
| Renick Run Pumping Station 03-04 | City of Columbus - (OH) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2006 |
| Dodge Park Engine No 1 | City of Columbus - (OH) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2008 |
| PS ST-8 Engine No 1 | City of Columbus - (OH) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2008 |
| ST-1/1A Engine No 1 | City of Columbus - (OH) | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2008 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Invenergy Services LLC |
| Flint | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Flint |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Gas Power Station | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2023 |
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 791,805 | $75,913 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 38,749 | $98,642 | 0.92 |
| Electrical contractors | 7,457 | $101,193 | 1.31 |
| Electric utilities | 1,425 | $126,540 | 0.66 |
| Data processing and hosting | 3,741 | $126,307 | 1.52 |
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 Franklin County
56 data centers in Franklin County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Franklin County, Licking 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 1,361,536 | ▲ 3.4% | 15 MW | 400 MW | 56 | 1 |
| Delaware County | 242,032 | ▲ 11.4% | 1 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Fairfield County | 169,752 | ▲ 9.1% | — | 220 MW | 3 | — |
| Licking County | 185,564 | ▲ 18.7% | 3 MW | 350 MW | 32 | — |
| Madison County | 46,985 | ▲ 34.9% | 957 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Pickaway County | 62,978 | ▲ 18.5% | 764 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Union County | 73,446 | ▲ 9.8% | 565 MW | 50 MW | 7 | — |
More of Ohio
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Ohio?
9 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, South Central Power Company. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Columbus, OH in?
Most of Columbus is in Franklin County: 911,199 of its 938,396 residents, or 97%. The rest of the city lies in Delaware County, Fairfield County.
What county is Jackson Township, OH in?
Jackson Township is in Franklin County, Ohio. About 50,870 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Grove City, OH in?
Grove City is in Franklin County, Ohio. About 45,180 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Franklin County?
7 operating plants with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Tosoh SMD (4 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Franklin County?
400 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 400 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Invenergy Services LLC.
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 56 data centers in Franklin County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 791,805 jobs in 2025 against 765,429 in 2019 (+3.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 28,630 to 38,749.
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Franklin County, 1 in force.