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Adams County officials say they have limited role as interest grows in former power‑plant sites
Summary
Economic Development Director Paul Worley told the county commissioners that firms have expressed interest in former Dayton Power & Light properties but no site plan or formal proposal has been filed; the land is privately owned and the county would only be involved if asked for tax incentives.
Paul Worley, Adams County economic development director, told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 9 that inquiries have been made about purchase and redevelopment of former Dayton Power & Light properties, including interest in the former Stuart Station site because of an on‑site 345‑kilovolt switchyard. Worley said no company has submitted a site plan or formal project proposal and that the parcels remain privately owned. He also said he signed a non‑disclosure agreement with an interested company and that the Adams County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the documents.
Why this matters: the county lost about 700 jobs when two coal‑fired plants closed in 2018, a loss Worley said contributed to an annual local revenue decline he estimated at $9,000,000 and $5,500,000 in annual funding to the Manchester School District; he also said Adams County ranks among the nation’s most economically distressed counties. Any large industrial or data‑center project could affect local employment, school revenues, utilities and land use planning.
Residents and local trade representatives filled the public portion of the meeting to ask questions about environmental impacts, local hiring commitments, and how tax arrangements would work. ‘‘We want locals to be hired,’’ residents urged, and union representatives told the board that agreements such as payments‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes and domicile‑hiring provisions can be negotiated. Commissioners said they will not sign NDAs and that the county’s role would be limited to considering tax abatement requests only if a company formally requests them.
Paul Worley said the county has engaged with utilities and regulatory agencies — including American Electric Power, AES Ohio, Duke Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency — but he reiterated that he has no authority over privately owned land or over who a private landowner chooses to sell to. He told the public the county will hold additional meetings and release information once a formal proposal is received.
Next steps: the board said it will schedule an evening public meeting when more project details become available and will publish meeting notices on the county website and social media. The Economic Development Office will provide updates as new information arrives.
