Van Wert County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Van Wert, Pleasant Township and Washington Township
Van Wert County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Van Wert County is home to Van Wert, Pleasant Township, Washington Township and Ridge Township. 46 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Avangrid Power LLC (solar). Next door, Allen County, Indiana, has 6 data centers. Its power plants have 903 MW of capacity, 66% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 11,050 jobs in 2025, down 6.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Van Wert County
Van Wert County is home to Van Wert, Pleasant Township, Washington Township and Ridge Township.
- Delphos also extends into Allen County.
- Scott also extends into Paulding County.
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 Van Wert County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,922 | 29,013 | ▲ 0.3% | 74th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,789 | 11,050 | ▼ 6.3% | 84th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,888 | $51,936 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 123 | 31 | ▼ 74.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 46 MW | 5% of today's fleet | 19th of 22 by size |
Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Van Wert County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 29,013 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 31, down 74.8% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $71,555 a year.
Who powers Van Wert County
Utilities with service territory in Van Wert 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% |
| Dayton Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 478,741 | 15.32¢ | 20% |
| Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,836 | 15.27¢ | 34% |
| Paulding-Putman Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,176 | 17.67¢ | 21% |
| Village of Ohio City - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 597 MW | 66% |
| Wind | 306 MW | 34% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert P Mone Plant | Buckeye Power, Inc | Natural gas | 597 MW | 2002 |
| Blue Creek Wind Project | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 302 MW | 2011 |
| Cooper Farms VW Project | Cooper Hatchery Inc. | Wind | 4 MW | 2012 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bear Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 46 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Avangrid Power LLC |
The Van Wert County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,050 | $51,936 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 31 | $71,555 | 0.39 |
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 Van Wert County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Van Wert County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Van Wert County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Van Wert County, Allen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Wert County | 29,013 | ▼ 6.3% | 903 MW | 46 MW | — | — |
| Adams County IN | 36,650 | ▼ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Allen County IN | 402,329 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | 6 | — |
| Allen County | 100,881 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Auglaize County | 45,909 | ▲ 0.6% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Mercer County | 42,737 | ▼ 0.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Paulding County | 18,727 | ▲ 9.0% | 634 MW | — | — | — |
| Putnam County | 34,380 | ▲ 4.4% | 205 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Ohio
Van Wert County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Van Wert County, Ohio?
5 utilities have service territory in Van Wert County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Dayton Power & Light Co, Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH), Paulding-Putman Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Van Wert, OH in?
Van Wert is in Van Wert County, Ohio. About 11,200 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Pleasant Township, OH in?
Pleasant Township is in Van Wert County, Ohio. About 10,983 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Van Wert County?
3 operating plants with 903 MW of capacity. The largest is Robert P Mone Plant (597 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Van Wert County?
46 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Avangrid Power LLC.
Are there data centers in Van Wert County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Van Wert County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Allen County.
Is Van Wert County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,050 jobs in 2025 against 11,789 in 2019 (-6.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Van Wert County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Van Wert County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.