The Ground Rules

Sources

Everything we cite

Every source used on this site, grouped by the page that uses it. Most are public filings you can read yourself. If a link breaks or a filing changes, tell us.

The seven gas plants

  1. Alan Miller, "8-year-old to officials considering 7th power plant for New Albany data centers," The Reporting Project, Oct. 23, 2026. thereportingproject.org
  2. Will-Power OH, "Notice of Compliance, Completion and In-service Dates," OPSB case 25-0185-EL-BLN, filed July 22, 2026. PUCO docket
  3. Will-Power OH, "Notice of Completion and In-service Date," OPSB case 25-0188-EL-BGN, filed Nov. 3, 2026. PUCO docket
  4. "Ohio Power Siting Board approves fifth natural gas power plant in New Albany," Farm and Dairy, June 30, 2026 (farmanddairy.com); OPSB case 26-0169-EL-BLN (docket).
  5. PowerConneX New Albany, "Notice of Compliance with Condition 3: Start of Construction Date," OPSB case 25-0090-EL-BLN, filed Aug. 12, 2025. PUCO docket
  6. OPSB case 25-0302-EL-BGN, Opinion and Order, Nov. 20, 2025, and start-of-construction notice, Dec. 2, 2025. PUCO docket
  7. Joint Stipulation and Recommendation, OPSB case 26-0627-EL-BGN, filed Oct. 19, 2026. PUCO docket
  8. Joint Stipulation and Recommendation, OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, filed Nov. 2, 2026. PUCO docket
  9. Kevin Clark, "Onsite gas turbines, reciprocating engines to power Meta data center," Power Engineering, June 11, 2025. power-eng.com
  10. Ohio EPA, public comment page for draft permit P0139969, "Will-Power OH, LLC - STY," viewed Nov. 5, 2026 (ohioepa.commentinput.com); emission figures from Save Ohio Parks, "Tell the Ohio EPA: No air permit for Meta's third polluting gas plant," Oct. 14, 2026 (saveohioparks.org).
  11. Ohio EPA final permit-to-install P0137967, Aug. 19, 2025, filed in OPSB case 25-0090-EL-BLN. PUCO docket
  12. OPSB Staff, "Staff Report of Investigation," case 26-0627-EL-BGN, Oct. 1, 2026. PUCO docket
  13. OPSB Staff, "Staff Report of Investigation," case 26-0361-EL-BGN, Oct. 16, 2026, including pp. 26–27 on the Ohio EPA permit. PUCO docket
  14. City of New Albany, "Energy Centers: Frequently Asked Questions," Oct. 2026 (PDF), and "Natural Gas Power" (newalbanyohio.org).
  15. Transcript of the Oct. 21, 2026 evidentiary hearing, OPSB case 26-0627-EL-BGN, filed Nov. 3, 2026. PUCO docket
  16. Ohio EPA, public comment page for draft permit P0140005, "EdgeConneX New Albany North," viewed Nov. 5, 2026. ohioepa.commentinput.com
  17. Save Ohio Parks, "Act Now: Tell Ohio NO on two polluting gas plants," Sept. 23, 2026 (saveohioparks.org), and testimony of Oct. 6, 2026 (saveohioparks.org).
  18. Trinity Consultants for EdgeConneX, "Exhibit E: Permit to Install Application," Table 3-1, OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, filed July 24, 2026. PUCO docket

The city's position & the incentives

  1. City of New Albany, "New Albany Data Centers," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. datacenters.newalbanyohio.org
  2. City of New Albany, "Frequently Asked Resident Questions," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. datacenters.newalbanyohio.org/resident-questions
  3. City of New Albany, "Our Community," data center site, accessed Nov. 5, 2026. datacenters.newalbanyohio.org/our-community
  4. City of New Albany, "Natural Gas Power," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. newalbanyohio.org/natural-gas-power
  5. The same page as archived on Apr. 26, 2025, Nov. 8, 2025 and Apr. 17, 2026, Internet Archive.
  6. City of New Albany, Council Minutes, May 19, 2026 (PDF), and Adopted Legislation, May 19, 2026, O-07-2026 (PDF); see also O-47-2025 in Adopted Legislation, Jan. 6, 2026 (PDF).
  7. City of New Albany, Council Minutes, Oct. 6, 2026 (PDF), and Adopted Legislation, Oct. 6, 2026, R-38-2026 through R-40-2026 (PDF).
  8. City of New Albany, Adopted Legislation, Aug. 19, 2025, O-33-2025, §1144.02. (PDF)
  9. City of New Albany, Council Minutes, Sept. 16, 2025. (PDF)
  10. City of New Albany, Council Minutes, Dec. 16, 2025 (PDF), and Adopted Legislation, Dec. 16, 2025, R-46-2025 (PDF).
  11. Sabriel Metcalf, "Ohio board hears concerns over proposed New Albany data center power plant," Spectrum News 1, Oct. 7, 2026. spectrumnews1.com
  12. Sarah Donaldson, "New Albany City Council approves 30-year tax break for Amazon data centers," NBC4, Sept. 20, 2023. nbc4i.com
  13. "Microsoft and New Albany to build $420 million data center," WSYX, Oct. 2, 2024 (cwcolumbus.com); "Microsoft to Construct Data Center Project in New Albany," New Albany Business, Oct. 4, 2024 (newalbanybusiness.org).
  14. Zach Schiller, "Indefensible tax breaks for data centers will cost Ohio," Policy Matters Ohio, Jan. 7, 2025. policymattersohio.org
  15. "Data center company QTS investing $1.5B into New Albany," ABC6, Oct. 23, 2023. abc6onyourside.com
  16. Office of Gov. Mike DeWine, Tax Credit Authority press release, Dec. 11, 2023, as archived. politicalemails.org
  17. Aaron Burd, "$185 million data center coming to New Albany after tax exemption approved," NBC4, June 28, 2024. via Yahoo Finance
  18. David Trinko, "Ohio Throws Hundreds of Millions to Tech Giants' Data Centers," The Lima News, republished by Governing, July 29, 2024. governing.com
  19. "Google Announces New Investment in New Albany," New Albany Business, June 19, 2024. newalbanybusiness.org
  20. City of New Albany, "City Finances," data center site, accessed Nov. 5, 2026. datacenters.newalbanyohio.org/city-finances
  21. Signal Ohio via the Associated Press, "Ohio data center tax break cost $1.4 billion more than expected in 2025," May 21, 2026. cleveland19.com
  22. Sarah Donaldson, "Following DeWine's veto, sales tax break for Ohio data centers survives — for now," Statehouse News Bureau, Aug. 8, 2025. wvxu.org
  23. "Governor DeWine Announces Pause of Data Center Tax Exemption," reprinting the governor's release, May 27, 2026. clermontsun.com
  24. City of New Albany, Council Minutes, July 7, 2026, p. 8. (PDF)
  25. City of New Albany, Council Minutes, April 21, 2026, pp. 2–3. (PDF)
  26. Kent Mallett, "New Albany annexation, development 'transformational' for Jersey Township," Newark Advocate, Jan. 13, 2022. via Yahoo News
  27. City of New Albany, Adopted Legislation, June 16, 2026, R-20-2026. (PDF)
  28. City of New Albany, Adopted Legislation, Sept. 16, 2025, O-21-2025 and exhibits. (PDF)
  29. City of New Albany, Council Meeting Agenda, Nov. 3, 2026, pp. 1–3: item 6, "Hearing of Visitors," with the Ohio Power Siting Board presentation, and the legislation listed in items 10–12. (PDF)
  30. Robert Dove, Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter, for City Manager Joseph F. Stefanov, "Notice of Intervention by the City of New Albany," OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, filed June 24, 2026, pp. 1–2 (quote p. 1). PUCO docket
  31. Administrative Law Judge, Entry, OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, Sept. 16, 2026, ¶¶ 4, 7, 22. PUCO docket
  32. OPSB Staff, "Staff Report of Investigation," PowerConneX New Albany 3, case 26-0361-EL-BGN, Oct. 16, 2026, p. 3 (rehearing and appeal), p. 35 (the city's intervention and the aesthetics condition) and pp. 38–44 (39 recommended conditions). PUCO docket
  33. PowerConneX, City of New Albany and OPSB Staff, "Joint Stipulation and Recommendation," case 26-0361-EL-BGN, filed by Christine M.T. Pirik for PowerConneX, Nov. 2, 2026, 1:27 p.m. (file stamp). Quotes: p. 2 (recommendation, "lengthy, serious bargaining"), p. 3 (Conditions 2 and 6), p. 9 (Condition 41), p. 11 ("expressly conditioned," rehearing and withdrawal), p. 12 ("carries no factual or legal precedent"; subsidiary of EdgeConneX), pp. 12–15 (agreed findings and conclusions), p. 15 (authority), p. 16 (signatures). PUCO docket
  34. Macy Ramsey, EdgeConneX and PowerConneX, "Supplemental Testimony," case 26-0361-EL-BGN, filed Nov. 2, 2026, pp. 3–4. PUCO docket
  35. OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, case record (68 documents), viewed Nov. 5, 2026. PUCO docket
  36. City of New Albany, City Council meeting video, Nov. 3, 2026, and its transcript, which the city's video host says was "compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning." Approximate times: Williams 0:05–0:55, staff on special counsel 0:27–0:37, city attorney 0:55–1:00, residents on the settlement 1:20–1:25 and 1:40–1:45. We paraphrase it rather than quote it. newalbanyoh.new.swagit.com
  37. Alan Miller, "New Albany mayor and council told to 'do better' in protecting area residents from gas-fired power plant pollutants," The Reporting Project, Nov. 5, 2026. thereportingproject.org
  38. City of New Albany, Council Minutes, Oct. 20, 2026, pp. 11–12. (PDF)
  39. "Joint Stipulation and Recommendation," NEO Power Generation Facility, OPSB case 26-0627-EL-BGN, filed Oct. 19, 2026, p. 23 (city signature) (PUCO docket), and Administrative Law Judge Entry granting the city's petition to intervene, filed Oct. 19, 2026 (PUCO docket).
  40. Transcript of the Oct. 21, 2026 hearing, OPSB case 26-0627-EL-BGN, filed Nov. 3, 2026, pp. 6–7, 14, 22–24. PUCO docket
  41. Ohio Power Siting Board, Opinion and Order, Socrates North, case 25-0188-EL-BGN, Sept. 18, 2025, ¶¶ 62–63 (p. 20) and ¶ 64 (pp. 26–27, "substantial weight" and the three questions, spelling as in the original). PUCO docket
  42. Ohio Administrative Code 4906-2-24(D). codes.ohio.gov
  43. Ohio Administrative Code 4906-2-12(A)(1). codes.ohio.gov
  44. Ohio Revised Code 4906.08(C). codes.ohio.gov
  45. City of New Albany, council meeting agendas, Sept. 16, 2025 through Nov. 3, 2026 (34 agendas: 27 regular meetings plus organizational, special and workshop meetings), searched for "Siting," "OPSB," "interven," "stipulat," "Kegler," "PowerConneX" and "counsel," Nov. 5, 2026. City Council Business
  46. City of New Albany, "2026 New Albany City Council Regular Meeting Schedule." (PDF)
  47. OPSB case 26-0169-EL-BLN (Socrates the Younger), case record: city notice of intervention filed Apr. 1, 2026, granted Apr. 28, 2026, viewed Nov. 5, 2026. PUCO docket
  48. Ohio Revised Code 5709.83, notice to school boards of proposed tax exemptions. codes.ohio.gov

Water, the grid & your electric bill

  1. City of New Albany, "Resident Questions," data center information site, undated, accessed Nov. 5, 2026. datacenters.newalbanyohio.org/resident-questions
  2. Michelle Jarboe, "How much water do data centers really use? Here's what we learned from public records," The Price of Data, News 5 Cleveland / Scripps News, 2026. news5cleveland.com
  3. Google, 2026 Environmental Report, "Water use by data center location 2025," p. 97. sustainability.google (PDF)
  4. Google, 2025 Environmental Report, "Water use by data center location 2024," p. 110. gstatic.com (PDF)
  5. Meta, 2025 Environmental Data Index, "Water Withdrawal by Facility." sustainability.atmeta.com
  6. Mandy Crispin and Alex Cossin, "Columbus explores water reuse to support data center growth and long-term water supply needs," WaterWorld, June 23, 2026. waterworld.com
  7. George Shillcock, "Columbus City Council considers data center regulations, including water usage requirements," WOSU, July 21, 2026. wysu.org
  8. Nora McKeown Cleveland, data center tariff coverage, Spectrum News 1 Columbus, Sept. 2025. spectrumlocalnews.com
  9. AEP Ohio, "AEP Ohio Updates PUCO on Data Center Load Under Contract," press release, Feb. 13, 2026 (release), and the PUCO filing (docket).
  10. Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, "PUCO orders AEP Ohio to create data center specific tariff," July 9, 2025 (release); Vorys, client alert on the order, July 11, 2025 (vorys.com).
  11. AEP Ohio, "Data Center Tariff," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. aepohio.com
  12. Ohio State University Agricultural & Resource Law Program, "Data center controversies continue in Ohio," April 6, 2026. farmoffice.osu.edu
  13. Renee Fox, "AEP Ohio gives notice for new high-voltage transmission lines to meet growing energy demands," WOSU, March 28, 2024. wosu.org
  14. AEP Ohio, "Kiber 138-kV Transmission Line Project" fact sheet, Dec. 19, 2025. aeptransmission.com (PDF)
  15. Renee Fox, "State utility officials approve AEP Ohio's building onsite energy generators at two data centers," WOSU, May 28, 2025. wosu.org
  16. PUCO Chair Jenifer French, comments before the Ohio House Select Committee on Data Centers, May 27, 2026. legislature.ohio.gov (PDF)
  17. Katie Millard, "New Albany gets small electric grid to power new data center," NBC4, 2026. nbc4i.com
  18. PJM, "PJM Capacity Auction Procures Sufficient Resources To Meet RTO Reliability Requirement," July 30, 2024. pjm.com (PDF)
  19. PJM, "PJM Auction Procures 134,311 MW of Generation Resources; Supply Responds to Price Signal," July 22, 2025. pjm.com (PDF)
  20. PJM, "PJM Auction Procures 134,479 MW of Generation Resources," Dec. 17, 2025. pjm.com (PDF)
  21. PJM, "PJM Capacity Auction Procures 138,318 MW of Generation Resources as Work Continues To Address Growing Electricity Demand," July 14, 2026. pjm.com (PDF)
  22. Monitoring Analytics (PJM independent market monitor), "Analysis of the 2025/2026 RPM Base Residual Auction, Part G (Revised)," June 3, 2025. monitoringanalytics.com (PDF)
  23. Monitoring Analytics, "Analysis of the 2026/2027 RPM Base Residual Auction, Part A," Oct. 1, 2025. monitoringanalytics.com (PDF)
  24. Monitoring Analytics, "Analysis of the 2027/2028 RPM Base Residual Auction, Part A," Jan. 5, 2026. monitoringanalytics.com (PDF)
  25. Monitoring Analytics, "Analysis of the 2028/2029 RPM Base Residual Auction, Part A," Oct. 30, 2026. monitoringanalytics.com (PDF)
  26. Kevin Accettulla, "AEP Ohio files for rate increase. Here's how much your bill could go up," NBC4, May 30, 2025. nbc4i.com
  27. Katie Millard, "How data centers contribute to spiking electric costs in central Ohio," NBC4, Aug. 6, 2025. via Yahoo News
  28. Ohio Consumers' Counsel, "Quick Facts: Data Centers in Ohio," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. occ.ohio.gov
  29. Allie Vugrincic, "State utilities commission approves AEP Ohio rate changes," WOSU, April 2, 2026. ideastream.org
  30. Ohio Legislative Service Commission, "H.B. 15 Final Analysis," July 9, 2025. legislature.ohio.gov
  31. Ellen Essman, "What's the state of data center legislation in Ohio?," OSU Farm Office, June 25, 2026. farmoffice.osu.edu

Take part

  1. Ohio EPA, public comment page for draft permit P0140492, Fairfield Energy Center, viewed Nov. 5, 2026. ohioepa.commentinput.com
  2. Will-Power OH, "Notice of Completion and In-service Date," OPSB case 25-0188-EL-BGN, filed Nov. 3, 2026. PUCO docket
  3. City of New Albany, "2026 New Albany City Council Regular Meeting Schedule." (PDF)
  4. Ohio EPA, public comment page for draft permit P0139969, "Will-Power OH, LLC - STY," viewed Nov. 5, 2026. ohioepa.commentinput.com
  5. Alan Miller, "8-year-old to officials considering 7th power plant for New Albany data centers," The Reporting Project, Oct. 23, 2026. thereportingproject.org
  6. OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, case record, viewed Nov. 5, 2026. PUCO docket
  7. OPSB Staff, "Staff Report of Investigation," case 26-0361-EL-BGN, Oct. 16, 2026, pp. 1–3. PUCO docket
  8. PUCO Docketing Information System, "File a Public Comment," viewed Nov. 5, 2026. dis.puc.state.oh.us
  9. City of New Albany, "Energy Centers: Frequently Asked Questions," Oct. 2026. (PDF)
  10. OPSB news release, "OPSB schedules local hearing for proposed natural gas power plant in Licking County," Sept. 16, 2026 (govdelivery.com); PUCO, 180 E. Broad St., Columbus.
  11. Ohio Revised Code 4906.08. codes.ohio.gov
  12. Ohio Administrative Code 4906-2-12. codes.ohio.gov
  13. Joint Stipulation and Recommendation, OPSB case 26-0627-EL-BGN, filed Oct. 19, 2026. PUCO docket
  14. Joint Stipulation and Recommendation, OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, filed Nov. 2, 2026. PUCO docket
  15. OPSB news release, Sept. 16, 2026 (as source 10). govdelivery.com
  16. Ohio EPA final permit P0137967 cover letter, Aug. 19, 2025, filed in OPSB case 25-0090-EL-BLN. PUCO docket
  17. City of New Albany, "Natural Gas Power," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. newalbanyohio.org
  18. City of New Albany, "City Council Business." newalbanyohio.org
  19. City of New Albany, Council Meeting Agenda, Sept. 1, 2026. (PDF)
  20. City of New Albany, "City Council & Mayor." newalbanyohio.org
  21. Ohio House of Representatives, member page for District 4. ohiohouse.gov
  22. Administrative Law Judge, Entry, OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN, Sept. 16, 2026, ¶ 7. PUCO docket

Join us

  1. U.S. EPA, "Prevention of Significant Deterioration Basic Information," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. epa.gov
  2. 40 CFR 49.167, definition of "synthetic minor source." law.cornell.edu
  3. OPSB Staff, "Staff Report of Investigation," case 26-0361-EL-BGN (PowerConneX New Albany 3), Oct. 16, 2026, pp. 26–27 (air permit classification); equipment, farmland and wetland figures in the same report. PUCO docket
  4. U.S. EPA, "Air Plan Approval; Ohio; Ohio Less Than 10 TPY BAT Exemption," 84 Fed. Reg. 14874, Apr. 12, 2019, describing Ohio Adm. Code 3745-31-05 and 2006 Senate Bill 265. govinfo.gov
  5. See The seven gas plants for each plant's equipment list from its state filings.
  6. Google, 2026 Environmental Report, p. 97. sustainability.google (PDF)
  7. Monitoring Analytics (PJM independent market monitor), "Analysis of the 2028/2029 RPM Base Residual Auction, Part A," Oct. 30, 2026. monitoringanalytics.com (PDF)
  8. See Water, grid & bills for how PJM's capacity auction reaches household bills, with its sources.

Home

  1. City of New Albany, "Frequently Asked Resident Questions," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. datacenters.newalbanyohio.org
  2. See The seven gas plants for each plant's filings. Total and count from The Reporting Project, Oct. 23, 2026 (thereportingproject.org); operating dates from Will-Power OH's filings of July 22 and Nov. 3, 2026 in OPSB cases 25-0185-EL-BLN and 25-0188-EL-BGN (docket).
  3. Joint Stipulation and Recommendation, OPSB case 26-0627-EL-BGN (NEO), filed Oct. 19, 2026. PUCO docket
  4. Joint Stipulation and Recommendation, OPSB case 26-0361-EL-BGN (PowerConneX New Albany 3), filed Nov. 2, 2026. PUCO docket
  5. Monitoring Analytics (PJM independent market monitor), "Analysis of the 2028/2029 RPM Base Residual Auction, Part A," Oct. 30, 2026. monitoringanalytics.com (PDF)
  6. Google, 2026 Environmental Report, p. 97. sustainability.google (PDF)
  7. Ohio EPA, public comment page for draft permit P0139969, viewed Nov. 5, 2026. ohioepa.commentinput.com
  8. City of New Albany, "New Albany Data Centers" and "Our Community," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. datacenters.newalbanyohio.org
  9. Katie Millard, "New Albany gets small electric grid to power new data center," NBC4, 2026. nbc4i.com
  10. PUCO Chair Jenifer French, comments before the Ohio House Select Committee on Data Centers, May 27, 2026. legislature.ohio.gov (PDF)
  11. City of New Albany, "Natural Gas Power," accessed Nov. 5, 2026. newalbanyohio.org