Why this score?
Four weighted factors drive the Ottawa County risk score. Methodology is fully documented — each input is public data or a reasoned proxy.
Moderate transmission capacity. Hyperscale-scale loads would require new substation work.
Constrained water capacity. Hyperscale designs would face Ohio EPA scrutiny on withdrawal and discharge.
Limited available large-acreage land. A structural disincentive to greenfield hyperscale development.
No direct adjacency, but Ohio's data-center cluster activity could expand here.
Water infrastructure
Any hyperscale data center in Ottawa County would need an Ohio EPA NPDES permit and (for surface water) coordination with the relevant watershed authority. The water source is Lake Erie.
Lake Erie is functionally unlimited as a cooling-water source for hyperscale designs, subject to Ohio EPA NPDES permits and Great Lakes Compact rules. Counties with Lake Erie access carry the lowest water-stress component of the data-center risk score in Ohio.
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. Ottawa County is served by FirstEnergy.
FirstEnergy serves Northeast and Northwest Ohio through Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating, and Toledo Edison. FirstEnergy's transmission corridors define which sites are economically attractive to hyperscale developers — a high-voltage line within a few miles can make or break a project.
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.
Franklin County — Hilliard's Bloom Energy fuel-cell installation — 73 MW Amazon + AEP Ohio data-center generation, the largest in North America — is in administrative-court litigation.
Portage County — Ravenna's moratorium has paused multiple data-center proposals; Council member Carmen Laudato has stated publicly that Ravenna's water plant cannot support hyperscale cooling.
State legislative context
Ohio's 2025–2026 legislative session has produced multiple bills targeting hyperscale data centers. Each affects Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa County. Includes your public comment letter, hearing script, public records templates, and county officials. Delivered in 60 seconds.