Huron County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Norwalk, Willard and Bellevue
Huron County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Huron County. Huron County is home to Norwalk, Willard, part of Bellevue (3,565 of its 8,154 residents) and Norwalk Township. 297 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Firelands Wind, LLC (wind), the 4th largest pipeline among Ohio's counties. 297 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 5.6% in 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum.
Cities and towns in Huron County
Huron County is home to Norwalk, Willard, part of Bellevue (3,565 of its 8,154 residents) and Norwalk Township.
And 5 smaller places.
- Bellevue also extends into Sandusky County.
- Plymouth also extends into Richland County.
- Milan also extends into Erie County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Celeryville, Collins, Holiday Lakes, New Haven.
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 Huron County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 58,487 | 58,250 | ▼ 0.4% | 45th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,292 | 21,321 | ▲ 0.1% | 49th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,859 | $55,440 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.6% | 3.5% | ▼ 2.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 297 MW | 5034% of today's fleet | 4th of 22 by size |
Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 54% of it solar. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Huron County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. Employers here counted 21,321 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019. 58,250 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Huron County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Huron 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% |
| Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,234 | 17.26¢ | 14% |
| North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,433 | 17.09¢ | 14% |
| Firelands Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Greenwich - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Milan - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Monroeville - (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 | 3 MW | 54% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroeville Solar | Solar Planet Power | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
| Monroeville RTO BTM | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firelands Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 297 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Firelands Wind, LLC |
The Huron County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,321 | $55,440 | 1.00 |
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 Huron County
1 data center in Huron County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Huron County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Huron County, Erie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huron County | 58,250 | ▲ 0.1% | 6 MW | 297 MW | 1 | — |
| Ashland County | 52,523 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 41,896 | ▼ 1.6% | 172 MW | — | — | — |
| Erie County | 73,296 | ▼ 0.7% | 127 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lorain County | 323,219 | ▲ 0.8% | 577 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 124,893 | ▼ 3.1% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Sandusky County | 58,655 | ▼ 4.4% | 760 MW | — | — | — |
| Seneca County | 54,522 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Huron County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Huron County, Ohio?
8 utilities have service territory in Huron County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc, North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Norwalk, OH in?
Norwalk is in Huron County, Ohio. About 17,191 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Huron County?
2 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Monroeville Solar (3 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Huron County?
297 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 297 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Firelands Wind, LLC.
Are there data centers in Huron County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Huron County.
Is Huron County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,321 jobs in 2025 against 21,292 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Huron County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Huron County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.