Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff: county lacks sites with power capacity for large data centers; applicants must document interconnection
Summary
Staff and commissioners said local utility capacity is limited and that applicants must provide interconnection and utility capacity documentation; any necessary upgrades are the applicant’s responsibility.
Commissioners and staff discussed electric capacity and interconnection requirements for data centers.
Mr. Dietz said that when Jobs Ohio posts leads for data centers they typically require "hundreds of megawatts of power" and that, "to his knowledge, there was not a single site in the entire county that could serve anything of that size." The draft Section 749 requires applicants to show transmission and interconnection information, permits from utilities, and confirmation of public utility capacity; staff said any upgrades required to serve a data center would be the applicant’s responsibility.
Commissioners noted that backup fuel use and generator testing practices were a community concern; the draft prohibits diesel generators as a primary power source, allows them only for emergency backup with limited weekly testing (no more than once weekly between noon and 5 p.m.), and requires closed‑loop cooling systems and treated discharge meeting state water quality rules.
