Why this score?
Four weighted factors drive the Lawrence County risk score. Methodology is fully documented — each input is public data or a reasoned proxy.
Above-average transmission capacity. Mid-sized facilities viable; hyperscale would need targeted upgrades.
Moderate water availability. Cooling-tower viable with standard permitting; closed-loop reduces risk.
Moderate availability of large parcels. Some sites fit; assembly may be required for hyperscale.
Strong cluster proximity. Adjacent counties have active or recently-approved hyperscale projects.
Water infrastructure
Any hyperscale data center in Lawrence County would need an Ohio EPA NPDES permit and (for surface water) coordination with the relevant watershed authority. The water source is Ohio River.
The Ohio River is a large, regulated water source administered jointly by Ohio EPA and ORSANCO (Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission). Quantity is rarely the binding constraint for industrial users; permit review timelines and discharge rules are.
A single hyperscale data center using evaporative cooling can require 1–5 million gallons per day. Closed-loop and air-cooled designs reduce that draw at higher capital cost — a tradeoff that becomes more relevant as Ohio's water-permitting reviews lengthen.
Electric infrastructure
Grid capacity and transmission access are the single biggest driver of where hyperscale developers actually site projects. Lawrence County is served by AEP Ohio + American Electric Power-Kentucky cross-border.
AEP Ohio is the dominant utility for Central, Eastern, and Southern Ohio. Under Ohio HB 15's behind-the-meter tariff, AEP allows on-site generation that bypasses normal local grid review — the most aggressive data-center accommodation of any Ohio utility.
A single major substation upgrade or new transmission-line announcement can change the power factor significantly without any public proposal having been filed. Utility-survey activity at specific industrial parcels typically precedes a hyperscale proposal by six to twelve months.
Adjacent county activity
Hyperscale campuses cluster near existing transmission and water infrastructure. Activity in adjacent counties is the single best predictor of where a developer will look next.
Pike County — Piketon's PORTS Technology Campus is a planned 10-gigawatt data-center development on the former DOE uranium-enrichment site — the largest single project announced in U.S. history.
Licking County — Ohio's largest data-center cluster (Meta, Google, Amazon, QTS, Microsoft in New Albany) plus Cologix's announced $7B Johnstown campus.
State legislative context
Ohio's 2025–2026 legislative session has produced multiple bills targeting hyperscale data centers. Each affects Lawrence County directly, regardless of whether a project is currently proposed here.
HB 15 (signed into law in 2025) created the "behind-the-meter" generation framework allowing data centers to install on-site generation that bypasses some local zoning review and PUCO oversight. HB 695 (in committee) would prohibit local officials from signing non-disclosure agreements with data-center developers, with $1,000 fines per violation.
The proposed Ohio Constitutional Amendment from Ohio Residents for Responsible Development (ORRD) would ban hyperscale data centers above 25 MW absent a county-level vote. The campaign needs 413,488 valid signatures from at least half of Ohio's 88 counties by July 1, 2026.
No active data center in Lawrence County — yet.
The fastest available policy lever is the Ohio constitutional amendment that would ban hyperscale data centers above 25 MW absent a county-level vote. Ohio Residents for Responsible Development needs 413,488 valid signatures by July 1, 2026 to put it on the November ballot. Find a signing event in your county.
Find a signing event →Independent. Reader-supported. Free to participate.
Compare with other counties
See how Lawrence County's score compares to the rest of Ohio's 88 counties.
See all 88 counties ranked →A preparation brief written for your address in Lawrence County. Includes your public comment letter, hearing script, public records templates, and county officials. Delivered in 60 seconds.