One of the country's largest data center campuses is being planned for Pike County as part of a federal trade deal

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a significant public-private partnership to develop a 10-gigawatt (GW) data center campus and an accompanying 10 GW natural gas power generation plant in Piketon, Pike County, Ohio. This $33 billion project, touted as one of the country's largest, is part of a federal trade deal with Japan and aligns with the U.S. government's "Genesis mission" to establish national artificial intelligence infrastructure. The partnership involves the DOE, SoftBank Group company SB Energy, and AEP Ohio. SB Energy is slated to construct the power plant, which will include 9.2 GW of natural gas generation, and the 10 GW data center on the site of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a federally owned facility. AEP Ohio will contribute a $4.2 billion investment with SB Energy to upgrade and build new transmission lines in southern Ohio, bolstering the local grid's capacity to support the development. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the investment supports the burgeoning AI sector, strengthens the national energy system, and aims to reduce electricity costs for American consumers. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized the project's role in the country's reindustrialization through critical infrastructure. According to The Financial Times, the natural gas facility's ownership will be shared equally between the United States and Japanese governments. Local government officials have voiced concerns regarding potential property tax revenue. While portions of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site, which has undergone extensive cleanup from radioactive and toxic contamination, were intended for community development, officials worry that if the federal government leases the remaining land for the data center instead, the county would miss out on crucial tax revenue. Construction on the project is expected to commence this year.