Ottawa County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Port Clinton, Salem Township and Danbury Township
Ottawa County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Electrical contractors employ 47, up 193.8% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $65,578 a year. Ottawa County is home to Port Clinton, Salem Township, Danbury Township and Clay Township. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. Next door, Wood County has 3 data centers. Its power plants have 931 MW of capacity, 99% of it nuclear.
Cities and towns in Ottawa County
Ottawa County is home to Port Clinton, Salem Township, Danbury Township and Clay Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Curtice, Lakeside, Williston.
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 Ottawa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,303 | 39,481 | ▼ 2.0% | 62nd of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,828 | 14,252 | ▲ 3.1% | 30th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,548 | $55,434 | ▲ 27.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16 | 47 | ▲ 193.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 3.6% | ▼ 2.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Ottawa County Project (other technologies, 3 MW, 2022). Employers here counted 14,252 jobs in 2025, up 3.1% from 2019. Ohio Edison Co is the largest utility serving Ottawa County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.18¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 39,481 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Ottawa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ottawa County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| The Toledo Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 278,814 | 16.64¢ | 16% |
| Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,307 | 17.05¢ | 29% |
| Village of Elmore - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Genoa - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Oak Harbor - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 925 MW | 99% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis Besse | Energy Harbor Nuclear Generation LLC | Nuclear | 925 MW | 1977 |
| Genoa Diesel Generating Station | Village of Genoa - (OH) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2004 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County Project | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2022 |
The Ottawa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,252 | $55,434 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 47 | $65,578 | 0.46 |
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 Ottawa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ottawa County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Wood County.
Ottawa County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Ottawa County, Wood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County | 39,481 | ▲ 3.1% | 931 MW | — | — | — |
| Erie County | 73,296 | ▼ 0.7% | 127 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lucas County | 423,347 | ▼ 7.0% | 1,286 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Sandusky County | 58,655 | ▼ 4.4% | 760 MW | — | — | — |
| Wood County | 134,176 | ▲ 10.3% | 915 MW | 50 MW | 3 | 1 |
More of Ohio
Ottawa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ottawa County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Ottawa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Edison Co, The Toledo Edison Co, Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc, Village of Elmore - (OH). The largest, Ohio Edison Co, charged residential customers 16.18¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Ottawa County?
2 operating plants with 931 MW of capacity. The largest is Davis Besse (925 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Ottawa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ottawa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wood County.
Is Ottawa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,252 jobs in 2025 against 13,828 in 2019 (+3.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Ottawa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ottawa County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.