Central Ohio data center will have its own power plant

By David Beasley
The Center Square

An Ohio state board has approved a natural gas-powered electric generation plant in Licking County to serve a data center, saying taxpayers and ratepayers won’t pay for power at the center.

The power will be consumed by Sidecat, LLC, an affiliate of Meta Platforms, Inc., according to a news release by the Ohio Power Siting Board, which approved the construction of the 250-megawatt natural gas plant.

“Taxpayers and ratepayers will not pay any of the costs,” board spokesman Matthew Butler told The Center Square.

The gas plant, which will be built on 109 acres, will not be physically connected to the electric power grid but will serve only the data center, the release said.

“The project will incorporate 116 MW of battery energy storage to accommodate fluctuations in demand and mitigate unplanned outages,” according to the news release.

The plant will be constructed and operated by Will-Power PH, LLC, the siting board said.

“Will-Power OH must adhere to 36 conditions designed to minimize potential impacts during construction and operation.,” the news release said.

The project will be “within the city of New Albany’s Technology Manufacturing District (TMD) Zone which is a regionally significant corridor for economic growth and development,” according to state documents.

Will-Power will be responsible for the power generation facility design, site development, earthwork, construction, restoration, and operation of the facility.

Will-Power will “own the power generation property, equipment, structures, and on-site Improvements,” according to state documents.

This is the latest in a string of data centers announced for Ohio. The state already has 224 data centers, according to Data Center Maps, which tracks the industry.