Putnam County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ottawa Township, Ottawa and Pleasant Township
The data center boom is not abstract in Putnam County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Putnam County. Putnam County is home to Ottawa Township, Ottawa, Pleasant Township and Union Township. Construction employs 1,113, up 23.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 12,444 jobs in 2025, up 4.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Putnam County
Putnam County is home to Ottawa Township, Ottawa, Pleasant Township and Union Township.
And 6 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Vaughnsville.
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 Putnam County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,392 | 34,380 | ● 0.0% | 70th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,923 | 12,444 | ▲ 4.4% | 24th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,455 | $52,967 | ▲ 34.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 900 | 1,113 | ▲ 23.7% | 14th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 205 MW of capacity, 98% of it solar. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Putnam County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 34,380 people live here, down 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Putnam County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Putnam 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% |
| The Toledo Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 278,814 | 16.64¢ | 16% |
| Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,307 | 17.05¢ | 29% |
| Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,836 | 15.27¢ | 34% |
| Paulding-Putman Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,176 | 17.67¢ | 21% |
| Tricounty Rural Elec Coop, Inc - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 200 MW | 98% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 2% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell Creek Solar | Avangrid Power LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Blue Harvest Solar Park | Blue Harvest Solar Park LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2023 |
| POET Biorefining - Leipsic, LLC | POET Biorefining - Leipsic, LLC | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2017 |
| Whirlpool Corporation - Ottawa Wind Farm | Ottawa Wind 24, LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2018 |
The Putnam County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,444 | $52,967 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,113 | $68,612 | 1.69 |
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 Putnam County
1 data center in Putnam County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Putnam County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Putnam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | 34,380 | ▲ 4.4% | 205 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Allen County | 100,881 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Defiance County | 38,292 | ▲ 0.3% | 454 MW | 90 MW | — | — |
| Hancock County | 75,034 | ▼ 4.9% | 20 MW | 235 MW | — | — |
| Henry County | 27,598 | ▼ 1.0% | 69 MW | 206 MW | — | — |
| Paulding County | 18,727 | ▲ 9.0% | 634 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Wert County | 29,013 | ▼ 6.3% | 903 MW | 46 MW | — | — |
| Wood County | 134,176 | ▲ 10.3% | 915 MW | 50 MW | 3 | 1 |
More of Ohio
Putnam County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Putnam County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Putnam County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, The Toledo Edison Co, Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc, Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Putnam County?
4 operating plants with 205 MW of capacity. The largest is Powell Creek Solar (150 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Putnam County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Putnam County.
Is Putnam County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,444 jobs in 2025 against 11,923 in 2019 (+4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 900 to 1,113.
Does Putnam County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Putnam County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.