Ross County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Scioto Township, Chillicothe and Union Township
Ross 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. Ross County is home to Scioto Township, Chillicothe, Union Township and Huntington Township. 12 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Salt City Solar LLC (battery storage). Next door, Highland County has 200 MW of planned generation. 489 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 868, up 4.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Ross County
Ross County is home to Scioto Township, Chillicothe, Union Township and Huntington Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Andersonville, Bourneville, Massieville, Richmond Dale.
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 Ross County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 77,067 | 76,429 | ▼ 0.8% | 32nd of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29,507 | 28,735 | ▼ 2.6% | 64th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,472 | $59,197 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 834 | 868 | ▲ 4.1% | 39th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 4.3% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 489 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 12 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 21st of 22 by size |
Its power plants have 582 MW of capacity, 84% of it solar. Employers here counted 28,735 jobs in 2025, down 2.6% from 2019. Duke Energy Ohio Inc is the largest utility serving Ross 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. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. 76,429 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Ross County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +489 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ross 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% |
| Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,349 | 19.90¢ | 8% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 489 MW | 84% |
| Other technologies | 66 MW | 11% |
| Natural gas | 27 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowbud Solar, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 274 MW | 2023 |
| Ross County Solar, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 120 MW | 2025 |
| Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC - Chilli | US Paper Mill Company | Other technologies | 93 MW | 1952 |
| Salt City Solar Project - Hybrid | Salt City Solar LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2023 |
| Fayette Solar | Geronimo Power | Solar | 45 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt City Solar Project - Hybrid | Batteries | 12 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Salt City Solar LLC |
The Ross County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,735 | $59,197 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 868 | $75,025 | 0.57 |
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 Ross County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ross County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Fayette County, Highland County, Pickaway County.
Ross County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Ross County, Highland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County | 76,429 | ▼ 2.6% | 582 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
| Fayette County | 28,552 | ▲ 7.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Highland County | 43,823 | ▲ 3.5% | 667 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
| Hocking County | 27,512 | ▲ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 32,817 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Pickaway County | 62,978 | ▲ 18.5% | 764 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pike County | 27,061 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Vinton County | 12,645 | ▼ 3.6% | 978 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Ross County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ross County, Ohio?
4 utilities have service territory in Ross County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Ohio Inc, Dayton Power & Light Co, South Central Power Company, Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, charged residential customers 15.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Scioto Township, OH in?
Scioto Township is in Ross County, Ohio. About 27,315 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Chillicothe, OH in?
Chillicothe is in Ross County, Ohio. About 21,815 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Union Township, OH in?
Union Township is in Ross County, Ohio. About 12,780 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ross County?
5 operating plants with 582 MW of capacity. The largest is Yellowbud Solar, LLC (274 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Ross County?
12 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Salt City Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Ross County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ross County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Highland County.
Is Ross County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,735 jobs in 2025 against 29,507 in 2019 (-2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 834 to 868.
Does Ross County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ross County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.