Ohio Commercial Energy

Powered by Jaken Energy · 833-264-7776

Intel, AWS and Central Ohio Data Centers: Power Costs

Ohio market insight · Data centers

Updated Ohio Commercial Energy editorial teamHow we review contentBook a free 15-min bill review

The short answer

Central Ohio's large new loads are concentrated in AEP Ohio's territory around New Albany and western Licking County, but they do not affect local businesses in the same way or on the same timeline. Intel's chip plant has been pushed to 2030–2031 and draws little power today. Amazon Web Services, Meta and other data center operators are adding load now. For a Columbus-area business, the practical effects are PJM capacity prices (set region-wide), AEP Ohio's transmission rider, and how quickly the local grid can serve your own expansion.

Who is building what

Project What has been announced Timing and status
Intel Ohio One (Licking County, New Albany) More than $28 billion for two chip factories First fab construction completion 2030, operations 2030–2031; second fab operations 2032. Production was originally targeted for 2025
Amazon Web Services $7.8 billion announced in 2023, plus $10 billion announced December 2024 to be invested by end of 2030; total Ohio investment planned to exceed $23 billion Existing data centers in Franklin and Licking counties; new sites named in New Albany, Sunbury, Pickaway County and Fayette County
Meta (New Albany) Data center campus; a 200 MW on-site gas plant built by a Williams subsidiary to supply it, approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board in June 2025 Gas plant targeted for 2026; separate request to use an idle AEP Ohio substation built for Intel
Microsoft (Licking County) About $1 billion of planned data center sites Paused in April 2025

The table shows why headlines about "Intel and Amazon" can mislead. The largest single announced project is not drawing production-scale power this decade, while the data center load is arriving now.

How much load AEP Ohio is lining up

AEP Ohio reported in February 2026 that it has about 17,861 MW of data center load under contract: 12,219 MW signed before its data center tariff took effect and 5,642 MW signed under it. That load is scheduled to come online through 2035. For comparison, AEP Ohio's peak demand across all customers is roughly 8,000–10,500 MW.

PJM's January 2026 forecast went the other direction for the near term. It cut the AEP zone's 2031 summer peak by about 10.4% (3.7 GW) versus the prior forecast after stricter vetting of large-load requests. Both can be true: contracts extend to 2035, and PJM is now less willing to count load before it is firmly committed.

The Intel delay and the idle substation

AEP Ohio built transmission and substation capacity to serve Intel's original schedule. With the fab delayed, AEP Ohio and a Meta affiliate asked PUCO in late 2025 to let Meta's nearby data center use the idle substation for three years. Meta would start at 120 MW and scale to 250 MW, and the full 500 MW would return to Intel in 2029. AEP Ohio said the arrangement means customers would not incur added costs for the substation during the delay.

For other customers, that is the stranded-asset question in miniature. When grid equipment is built for a large customer that arrives late, someone carries the cost in the meantime. AEP Ohio's data center tariff, with its minimum bills, exit fees and collateral, is meant to keep that someone from being the general customer base.

Which central Ohio businesses are affected

Utility territory decides what you pay and whether you can shop:

  • AEP Ohio customers (the investor-owned utility for the largest share of Franklin, Licking and Delaware counties) pay AEP Ohio's delivery charges, can choose a competitive supplier, and see data-center-related costs through capacity and transmission. See AEP Ohio, Franklin County, Licking County and Delaware County.
  • Municipal electric customers, including Westerville's system and the Columbus Division of Power (about 12,500 meters), cannot choose a supplier. Their rates are set by the city's system. See Westerville and Columbus.
  • Cooperative members in rural parts of these counties also cannot shop; their costs follow their co-op's power supply contracts.

What actually shows up on an AEP Ohio commercial bill

Capacity. The AEP zone has cleared at the region-wide PJM price in recent auctions: $269.92/MW-day for 2025/26, then the capped $329.17, $333.44 and $325.00 for 2026/27 through 2028/29. Central Ohio businesses pay the same capacity price as a business in Toledo or Dayton; what differs is each account's tag.

Transmission. AEP Ohio's Basic Transmission Cost Rider changes annually. At the April 2026 update, several non-residential components decreased while residential rose; an Ohio energy consultant's summary attributed part of the non-residential change to data center load growth spreading costs over more kilowatt-hours. See AEP Ohio transmission charges explained.

Distribution. PUCO's April 1, 2026 order in AEP Ohio's rate case approved an $11 million base distribution increase (AEP had asked for $97 million) and about $105 million in tax refunds over 18 months, a net annual revenue decrease of about $58.7 million. A new bill format separating distribution, transmission and generation begins this fall, and the utility begins operating under its legal name, Ohio Power Company, on October 1, 2026.

Supply. AEP Ohio's default price for businesses varies by rate schedule and is shown on your bill. AEP's current electric security plan runs through May 2028.

Practical steps for central Ohio businesses

  • Confirm your provider. A New Albany or Westerville address does not guarantee AEP Ohio service; check the utility name on your bill.
  • Plan service upgrades early. Heavy large-load activity competes for engineering time and equipment. Ask AEP Ohio about timelines well before a building expansion or new service.
  • Price capacity explicitly. When comparing offers, see whether capacity is fixed or passed through, and for which delivery years.
  • Manage your summer peak. Summer 2027 peak hours set tags for June 2028–May 2029.
  • Budget delivery separately. Transmission and distribution changes arrive on their own schedules, whoever your supplier is.

For the tariff terms that govern new data centers, see the AEP Ohio data center tariff. For the region-wide price mechanism, see data center demand and Ohio power prices. For contract and tag tactics that apply anywhere in Ohio, see how businesses can respond to data center growth.

FAQ

Is Intel's Ohio plant driving up my bill today?

Not in any meaningful way. Intel's first fab is not scheduled to operate until 2030–2031. Current price pressure comes mainly from data center load and PJM capacity prices.

Do central Ohio businesses pay more for capacity than the rest of Ohio?

Not in recent auctions. The AEP zone has cleared at the region-wide price, so the difference between businesses comes from their individual capacity tags, not their location in Ohio.

Can businesses on Westerville's or Columbus's municipal systems shop for electricity?

No. Municipal electric customers buy from their city's system, which sets its own rates. Competitive supplier choice applies to customers of AEP Ohio and Ohio's other investor-owned utilities.

Mainly in the supply price, which includes capacity, and in the transmission charges. On the new bill format, those appear in the generation and transmission sections.

Sources

Request a reviewCall