Highland County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Liberty Township, Hillsboro and Madison Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Highland County. Construction employs 531, up 57.6% since 2019. Highland County is home to Liberty Township, Hillsboro, Madison Township and Paint Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Clay Township (Highland County) data center moratorium”. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Palomino Solar, LLC (solar), the 8th largest pipeline among Ohio's counties. 200 MW of it is already under construction or built. 667 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Highland County
Highland County is home to Liberty Township, Hillsboro, Madison Township and Paint Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Buford, Highland Holiday, Rocky Fork Point.
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 Highland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 43,363 | 43,823 | ▲ 1.1% | 56th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,387 | 10,748 | ▲ 3.5% | 27th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,623 | $46,657 | ▲ 27.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 337 | 531 | ▲ 57.6% | 5th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 667 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 30% of today's fleet | 8th of 22 by size |
Its power plants have 667 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 10,748 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019. Duke Energy Ohio Inc is the largest utility serving Highland 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. 43,823 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Highland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +667 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Highland 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 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 667 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecate Energy Highland LLC | Hecate Energy Highland LLC | Solar | 300 MW | 2024 |
| Willowbrook Solar I, LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 150 MW | 2024 |
| Dodson Creek Solar, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 117 MW | 2025 |
| New Market Solar | New Market Solar | Solar | 100 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palomino Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Palomino Solar, LLC |
The Highland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,748 | $46,657 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 531 | $65,721 | 0.93 |
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 Highland County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Township (Highland County) data center moratorium | In force | 2026-04 |
Highland County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Highland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland County | 43,823 | ▲ 3.5% | 667 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
| Adams County | 27,865 | ▲ 17.4% | — | — | — | 2 |
| Brown County | 44,397 | ▲ 2.3% | 205 MW | — | — | — |
| Clinton County | 42,301 | ▲ 5.4% | 50 MW | 300 MW | 3 | — |
| Fayette County | 28,552 | ▲ 7.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Pike County | 27,061 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Ross County | 76,429 | ▼ 2.6% | 582 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of Ohio
Highland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Highland County, Ohio?
4 utilities have service territory in Highland 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 county is Liberty Township, OH in?
Liberty Township is in Highland County, Ohio. About 10,515 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Highland County?
4 operating plants with 667 MW of capacity. The largest is Hecate Energy Highland LLC (300 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Highland County?
200 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 200 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Palomino Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Highland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Highland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clinton County.
Is Highland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,748 jobs in 2025 against 10,387 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 337 to 531.
Does Highland County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Highland County, 1 in force.