Richland County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mansfield, Springfield Township and Madison Township
Richland County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Richland County is home to Mansfield, Springfield Township, Madison Township and Shelby. Next door, Huron County has 1 data center and 297 MW of planned generation. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Shelby Municipal Light Plant (petroleum, 3 MW, 2019). 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 24 MW of capacity, 42% of it battery storage.
Cities and towns in Richland County
Richland County is home to Mansfield, Springfield Township, Madison Township and Shelby.
And 3 smaller places.
- Plymouth also extends into Huron County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lincoln Heights, Roseland.
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 Richland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 124,969 | 124,893 | ▼ 0.1% | 23rd of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50,079 | 48,532 | ▼ 3.1% | 66th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,417 | $52,857 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37 | 48 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
Employers here counted 48,532 jobs in 2025, down 3.1% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 182, at an average $60,764 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Richland County, one of 11 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 124,893 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Richland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Richland 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% |
| Licking Rural Electric Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,820 | 16.88¢ | 7% |
| Consolidated Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,897 | 16.11¢ | 24% |
| North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,433 | 17.09¢ | 14% |
| Firelands Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Galion | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Lucas - (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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 42% |
| Petroleum | 7 MW | 30% |
| Natural gas | 5 MW | 20% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby BESS | Onsite Partners, LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2025 |
| Broshco Fabricated Products | Broshco Fabricated Products | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2001 |
| Progress Drive Generation Station | City of Shelby - (OH) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2016 |
| Shelby Solar Array | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Shelby North | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2000 |
| Shelby South | City of Shelby - (OH) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2000 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby Municipal Light Plant | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2019 |
| City of Shelby Electric Distribution | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Richland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 48,532 | $52,857 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 182 | $60,764 | 0.52 |
| Power and communication line construction | 48 | $87,569 | 0.61 |
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 Richland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Richland County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Richland County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Richland County, Huron 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 124,893 | ▼ 3.1% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Ashland County | 52,523 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 41,896 | ▼ 1.6% | 172 MW | — | — | — |
| Huron County | 58,250 | ▲ 0.1% | 6 MW | 297 MW | 1 | — |
| Knox County | 64,002 | ● 0.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Morrow County | 36,305 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Richland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Richland County, Ohio?
11 utilities have service territory in Richland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Licking Rural Electric Inc, Consolidated Cooperative. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Mansfield, OH in?
Mansfield is in Richland County, Ohio. About 47,381 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Springfield Township, OH in?
Springfield Township is in Richland County, Ohio. About 11,124 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Madison Township, OH in?
Madison Township is in Richland County, Ohio. About 11,118 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Richland County?
6 operating plants with 24 MW of capacity. The largest is Shelby BESS (10 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Richland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Richland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Huron County.
Is Richland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 48,532 jobs in 2025 against 50,079 in 2019 (-3.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Richland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Richland County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.