Why Findlay Is Becoming a Data Center Destination

By the Numbers

The Scale of What's Converging

0 MW

Leased to one mystery customer

0 yr

Guaranteed power contract length

$0B+

Nearby data center investment

$0M

Basalt paid for OnSite Partners

The Linchpin

One Power's Megawatt Hub

At 12385 Township Road 215, just north of Findlay, sits the first fully digital, plug-and-play, high-voltage power substation in the United States. Connected to a 138 kV transmission line (the kind that feeds entire towns), it was commissioned in September 2023 with 30 megawatts of initial capacity, expandable to 150 MW — enough electricity to power roughly 100,000 homes.

According to One Power's IPO registration filing with the SEC, the full 150 MW has been leased to a single undisclosed customer under a 15-year "take-or-pay" contract — meaning monthly payments are due regardless of whether power is actually drawn. At 150 MW, this is squarely in the range of a mid-size data center campus operated by companies like Google, Meta, or Amazon.

The facility initially hosted crypto mining in mobile computing units — but a 15-year, 150 MW commitment suggests this was always intended for something much larger. One Power's marketing explicitly listed data centers as a primary target market.

Follow the Money

A Deliberate Buildout

September 2024

Basalt acquires OnSite Partners from AEP for $318M

OnSite was originally AEP's own subsidiary for "behind-the-meter" power — electricity delivered directly to customers, bypassing the public grid. Basalt's portfolio already includes cell towers, fiber optic networks, and solar farms — every layer of digital infrastructure under one roof.

June 2025

OnSite, AEP & Basalt announce data center power collaboration

The partnership targets Bloom Energy fuel cells to provide on-site, low-carbon power specifically for data center customers — sidestepping the years-long wait to get new facilities connected to the public power grid.

July 2025

AEP's data center rate structure approved & moratorium lifted

New data center customers using more than 25 MW must commit to purchasing at least 85% of their capacity under 12-year contracts. AEP had 50+ data centers (30,000+ MW) waiting in its connection queue.

September 2025

One Power enters financial distress

After a failed $300M merger deal (known as a SPAC) and a withdrawn $100M stock offering, mass layoffs hit and financial reorganization begins with lenders and creditors.

February 2026

OnSite Partners acquires One Power

OnSite gains the Findlay Megawatt Hub, digital substation technology, construction crews, and land rights for future sites across Ohio. Just 8 months after announcing a data center mandate.

Geography

The I-75 Data Center Corridor

Hancock County sits exactly between two confirmed data center campuses built by tech giants. The corridor benefits from abundant natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale fields, Lake Erie water access for cooling, and major New York–Chicago fiber optic routes that carry internet traffic coast to coast.

AEP's Decade-Long Transmission Buildout

Whether or not a data center has been announced, AEP's investment in Hancock County is extraordinary. At least six distinct projects have been completed or are underway.

Fostoria–East Lima High-Voltage Rebuild

41-mile upgrade of the main 138 kV power line through Hancock County. Directly links Findlay to Google's data center area. Phase 2 completes summer 2027.

Findlay Area Improvements

20+ miles of power line rebuilds west and east of I-75 to "strengthen the local power grid and support economic development."

Ebersole Station

New $11.2M high-voltage substation built 1.7 miles from Findlay to "provide capacity for economic growth."

Three More Substations

Oilers, Boutwell, and Dunkirk-Berwick: new substations and 25-mile voltage upgrades spanning four counties.

Findlay Commerce Park (148 acres at I-75/CR 99) has been an AEP Qualified Data Center Site since 2013 — one of only nine in AEP's 11-state territory.

The Investor

Basalt Owns Every Layer

Basalt Infrastructure Partners isn't just a financial sponsor. Its portfolio assembles every piece of the puzzle needed to build and power massive data centers.

Skyway Towers Wireless cell towers
Fatbeam Fiber optic networks
Habitat Solar Large-scale solar farms
OnSite Partners 90+ on-site power projects across 21 states, now with One Power's digital substation tech

Who Leased 150 MW for 15 Years?

One Power's SEC filing explicitly withholds the customer's name, noting only that contracts may be with customers' "special purpose entities" — shell companies often used to keep a parent company's involvement hidden. At 150 MW, this matches a mid-size campus operated by a tech giant like Google, Meta, or Amazon. The initial crypto mining may have been a placeholder — a pattern seen nationally while permanent facilities are prepared.

Local Politics

The Zoning Battle That Will Shape Everything

The area just north of Findlay — Allen Township — was previously completely unzoned. Residents organized as "Allen Township Neighbors" and voted to adopt zoning on May 6, 2025 — primarily motivated by One Power's wind turbine construction near homes.

One Power challenged the results in court. While their Election Day injunction was denied, Judge Starn ultimately ruled in One Power's favor on November 4, 2025, finding the ballot language violated ORC 3505.06(E). The May 2025 results were invalidated — meaning Allen Township has never had valid zoning in effect.

The court ordered a new vote with corrected ballot language: May 5, 2026. This is not a referendum or do-over — it's the first valid vote on whether Allen Township will adopt zoning. The "Make Allen Great Again Coalition, LLC" opposes zoning, and One Power has argued it would "stifle future expansion."

The timing is critical. OnSite acquired One Power in February 2026. The zoning vote is May 2026. If zoning fails, Allen Township remains unzoned, and any project with a county building permit can proceed with no local approval needed — essentially zero oversight.

Looking Ahead

Critical Dates to Watch

May 5, 2026

Allen Township zoning vote. The first valid vote on whether the township adopts zoning, after the May 2025 results were invalidated by court order.
Summer 2027

AEP Fostoria–East Lima Phase 2 completion. Finalizes the main high-voltage power line upgrade through Hancock County.
Ongoing

OnSite / One Power integration. Backed by Basalt's $7B+ in capital, partnered with AEP, and operating a digital substation platform with "secured land rights" at sites across Ohio.
Unknown

Bloom Energy fuel cell deployment at the Findlay Megawatt Hub. Any such deployment would signal the transition from crypto mining to permanent data center infrastructure.

Conclusion

Hiding in Plain Sight

No data center has been publicly announced in the Findlay area. But the convergence is unmistakable: a 150 MW mystery lease, an acquisition by a company with an explicit data center mission, a parent company that owns every piece of the infrastructure puzzle, AEP's decade-long power grid buildout, placement midway between two confirmed tech giant campuses, and a zoning battle whose outcome determines whether the local township has any say at all.

The strongest indicator isn't any single data point — it's the systematic strategy of delivering power directly to the site, bypassing the public grid, which allows development to proceed almost entirely outside public view. If a data center is coming to Hancock County, it may not appear in any public filing until well after the power infrastructure is already running.

Take Action

Help Uncover What's Happening

Many of the questions in this report can be answered through Ohio's Public Records Act (ORC 149.43). Any Ohio resident can request public records from government offices — no reason required, no fees for most electronic records. Below are six ready-to-send records requests targeting the offices most likely to hold answers.

Hancock County Recorder Land transfers, leases, easements, and LLC filings since 2020

Land records reveal who is quietly assembling property, what shell companies are involved, and whether leases or easements suggest infrastructure larger than what's publicly announced.

Hancock County Recorder 300 S. Main Street, Room 23 Findlay, OH 45840 Phone: 419-424-7091 Dear Records Custodian: Pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act, ORC 149.43, I am requesting copies of the following public records: 1. All deeds, quit-claim deeds, land contracts, and transfers of real property recorded since January 1, 2020 for parcels located in Allen Township, Hancock County, Ohio within the area bounded approximately by Township Road 215 to the south, County Road 236 to the west, Township Road 222 to the north, and Interstate 75 to the east, including but not limited to the parcel(s) associated with the address 12385 Township Road 215 (North Findlay Wind Campus / One Power Company Megawatt Hub). 2. All memoranda of lease, lease agreements, or notices of lease recorded against any of the above-described parcels since January 1, 2020. 3. All easement grants, right-of-way agreements, and utility easements recorded against any of the above-described parcels since January 1, 2020, including those granted to or by American Electric Power (AEP), AEP Ohio Transmission Company, One Power Company, One Energy Enterprises, OnSite Partners LLC, or any affiliated entity. 4. All UCC financing statements (or fixture filings) recorded against the above-described parcels or against One Power Company, One Energy Enterprises, or OnSite Partners LLC as debtor, since January 1, 2020. 5. All documents recorded by or naming any limited liability company (LLC) as grantor, grantee, or party in interest for real property transactions in Allen Township since January 1, 2022, where the LLC was formed within 24 months prior to the transaction. I request that responsive records be provided in electronic format where available. Pursuant to ORC 149.43(B)(1), please provide these records within a reasonable period of time. If any records are withheld or redacted, please identify the specific statutory exemption relied upon for each item. If the cost of copies will exceed $25.00, please notify me in advance. I am willing to inspect records in person if that expedites the process. Thank you for your attention to this request. Respectfully, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Your Phone]
Allen Township Board of Trustees Official correspondence, meeting minutes, utility requests, and zoning filings

Township records show whether companies have been communicating plans behind the scenes, requesting utility connections that would indicate construction, or seeking zoning approvals for large-scale facilities.

Allen Township Board of Trustees PO Box 247 12829 State Route 613 Van Buren, OH 45889 Phone: 419-299-8828 Dear Records Custodian: Pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act, ORC 149.43, I am requesting copies of the following public records: 1. All written correspondence (including email) between Allen Township trustees, the fiscal officer, or any township official and any representative of One Power Company, One Energy Enterprises, OnSite Partners LLC, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, or any entity affiliated with these companies, from January 1, 2023 to present. 2. All written correspondence between Allen Township officials and any representative of American Electric Power (AEP), AEP Ohio, or AEP Transmission Company regarding utility infrastructure, transmission line construction, substation development, or economic development in Allen Township, from January 1, 2023 to present. 3. All applications, petitions, or requests received by Allen Township for utility service extensions (water, sewer, electric, gas, or fiber optic) to parcels in Allen Township associated with One Power Company, OnSite Partners, or properties adjacent to the North Findlay Wind Campus at or near 12385 Township Road 215. 4. All meeting minutes, agendas, and any attached documents from Allen Township trustee meetings from January 1, 2024 to present that reference One Power, OnSite Partners, Basalt Infrastructure, data centers, industrial development, utility infrastructure, or the Megawatt Hub. 5. All records related to any annexation petition, pre-annexation agreement, or joint economic development district (JEDD) agreement involving parcels in Allen Township from January 1, 2023 to present. 6. All records related to applications for zoning variances, conditional use permits, or zoning amendments submitted since the adoption of Allen Township zoning in May 2025, including the identity of the applicant and the nature of the proposed use. I request that responsive records be provided in electronic format where available. Pursuant to ORC 149.43(B)(1), please provide these records within a reasonable period of time. If any records are withheld or redacted, please identify the specific statutory exemption relied upon for each item. If the cost of copies will exceed $25.00, please notify me in advance. I am willing to inspect records in person if that expedites the process. Thank you for your attention to this request. Respectfully, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Your Phone]
City of Findlay Water/sewer extensions, annexation discussions, Commerce Park inquiries, and tech giant contacts

Water and sewer connections are a telltale sign — data centers need massive cooling systems. If the city has been negotiating service extensions to areas north of Findlay, it strongly suggests large-scale development is planned.

City of Findlay Office of the Mayor / Director of Public Service 318 Dorney Plaza, Room 301 Findlay, OH 45840 Email: publicrecords@findlayohio.gov Dear Records Custodian: Pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act, ORC 149.43, I am requesting copies of the following public records: 1. All applications for water service, sewer service, or utility connections submitted by or on behalf of One Power Company, One Energy Enterprises, OnSite Partners LLC, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, or any affiliated entity, for properties located in Allen Township, Hancock County, from January 1, 2022 to present. 2. All agreements between the City of Findlay and any entity for the extension of city water or sewer service to properties in Allen Township from January 1, 2022 to present. 3. All records of pre-annexation agreements, annexation petitions, or discussions of annexation involving parcels in Allen Township from January 1, 2023 to present, including any correspondence between city officials and property owners, developers, or their representatives. 4. All records related to the Findlay Commerce Park (I-75/CR 99 interchange area) including its AEP Qualified Data Center Site designation, any inquiries received from prospective data center tenants or developers since January 1, 2024, and any economic development incentive proposals or term sheets generated in connection with data center or large-scale industrial recruitment. 5. All correspondence between city officials and any representative of Meta Platforms, Google LLC, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Corporation, or any entity known to develop or operate hyperscale data centers, regarding potential development within the City of Findlay or surrounding Hancock County townships, from January 1, 2024 to present. 6. All meeting minutes, memos, or presentations from the Findlay Planning and Zoning Committee or Findlay City Council referencing data centers, large-scale industrial power users, or zoning code amendments related to such uses, from January 1, 2025 to present. I request that responsive records be provided in electronic format where available. Pursuant to ORC 149.43(B)(1), please provide these records within a reasonable period of time. If any records are withheld or redacted, please identify the specific statutory exemption relied upon for each item. If the cost of copies will exceed $25.00, please notify me in advance. I am willing to inspect records in person if that expedites the process. Thank you for your attention to this request. Respectfully, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Your Phone]
Wood County Building Inspection Building permits, electrical permits, and cooling system installations (handles non-residential permits for Hancock County)

Building permits are the smoking gun. Wood County handles non-residential building inspection and permits for Hancock County. Large electrical permits and cooling equipment installations are the physical fingerprints of a data center under construction — and they're public record.

Wood County Building Inspection Department One Courthouse Square, 3rd Floor Bowling Green, OH 43402 Phone: 419-354-9190 Toll Free: 866-860-4140 Dear Records Custodian: Pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act, ORC 149.43, I am requesting copies of the following public records: 1. All building permits, electrical permits, mechanical permits, and plumbing permits issued for the property at or near 12385 Township Road 215, Allen Township (North Findlay Wind Campus / One Power Company Megawatt Hub), from January 1, 2022 to present, including the identity of the permit applicant, property owner, and general contractor. 2. All building permits issued for properties in Allen Township with an estimated project value exceeding $500,000 from January 1, 2023 to present, including the identity of the applicant, owner, and stated use of the structure. 3. All permits for electrical installations exceeding 1,000 amps or 480 volts, or for cooling systems (chillers, cooling towers, CRAC/CRAH units) issued for any property in Allen Township from January 1, 2023 to present. 4. All certificates of occupancy or use issued for properties in Allen Township for industrial, commercial, or utility uses from January 1, 2023 to present. I request that responsive records be provided in electronic format where available. Pursuant to ORC 149.43(B)(1), please provide these records within a reasonable period of time. If any records are withheld or redacted, please identify the specific statutory exemption relied upon for each item. If the cost of copies will exceed $25.00, please notify me in advance. I am willing to inspect records in person if that expedites the process. Thank you for your attention to this request. Respectfully, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Your Phone]
Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development Tax incentive agreements, developer inquiries, Commerce Park marketing, and NDA metadata

Economic development offices negotiate incentives and recruit tenants. If NDAs exist with unnamed entities, that itself confirms active negotiations. Tax incentive agreements reveal who's planning to build what.

Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development 123 E. Main Cross Street Findlay, OH 45840 Dear Records Custodian: Pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act, ORC 149.43, I am requesting copies of the following public records: 1. All tax increment financing (TIF) agreements, community reinvestment area (CRA) agreements, enterprise zone agreements, or other economic development incentive agreements executed or proposed for properties in Allen Township, Hancock County, from January 1, 2022 to present. 2. All records of inquiries, proposals, or negotiations with prospective developers or tenants for data center, cloud computing, digital currency mining, or other high-energy-use facilities in Hancock County, from January 1, 2024 to present. This includes records held by the Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development office, the Hancock County Port Authority, or any affiliated economic development entity. 3. All records related to the designation, marketing, or prospective tenant discussions for the Findlay Commerce Park as an AEP Qualified Data Center Site, including any correspondence with AEP, JobsOhio, the Regional Growth Partnership, or prospective tenants. 4. All non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) executed between the economic development office and any entity regarding potential development in Hancock County from January 1, 2024 to present. I am requesting only the existence and date of such agreements and the general subject matter (not the confidential terms), to the extent such metadata is not exempt from disclosure. I request that responsive records be provided in electronic format where available. Pursuant to ORC 149.43(B)(1), please provide these records within a reasonable period of time. If any records are withheld or redacted, please identify the specific statutory exemption relied upon for each item. If the cost of copies will exceed $25.00, please notify me in advance. I am willing to inspect records in person if that expedites the process. Thank you for your attention to this request. Respectfully, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Your Phone]
Hancock County Commissioners County-level approvals, infrastructure resolutions, economic development incentives, and developer correspondence

County commissioners approve tax incentives, infrastructure spending, and economic development agreements. If large-scale development is being negotiated at the county level, the commissioners' meeting minutes and correspondence will show it.

Hancock County Commissioners 514 S. Main St., 2nd Floor Findlay, OH 45840 Email: commissioners@co.hancock.oh.us Phone: 419-424-7044 Dear Records Custodian: Pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act, ORC 149.43, I am requesting copies of the following public records: 1. All meeting minutes, resolutions, and any attached documents from Hancock County Commissioners meetings from January 1, 2024 to present that reference data centers, large-scale industrial development, One Power Company, OnSite Partners LLC, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, or any affiliated entity. 2. All correspondence between any County Commissioner or county official and representatives of One Power Company, One Energy Enterprises, OnSite Partners LLC, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, AEP, JobsOhio, or the Regional Growth Partnership regarding economic development, infrastructure investment, or data center recruitment in Hancock County from January 1, 2023 to present. 3. All resolutions or agreements related to tax increment financing (TIF) districts, community reinvestment areas (CRA), enterprise zones, or other economic development incentives for properties in Allen Township or elsewhere in Hancock County involving large-scale industrial or energy-intensive development from January 1, 2022 to present. 4. All records related to county-level infrastructure approvals, including road improvements, utility extensions, or right-of-way grants benefiting properties associated with One Power Company, OnSite Partners, or parcels near 12385 Township Road 215, Allen Township. 5. All records of presentations, briefings, or executive sessions (to the extent not exempt) involving prospective data center developers, hyperscale computing facility operators, or representatives of companies known to build or operate large-scale data centers, from January 1, 2024 to present. I request that responsive records be provided in electronic format where available. Pursuant to ORC 149.43(B)(1), please provide these records within a reasonable period of time. If any records are withheld or redacted, please identify the specific statutory exemption relied upon for each item. If the cost of copies will exceed $25.00, please notify me in advance. I am willing to inspect records in person if that expedites the process. Thank you for your attention to this request. Respectfully, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Your Phone]

Found something? If you file a records request and receive documents that shed light on what's happening in the Findlay area, you can share your findings anonymously.

findlay.watcher@proton.me

All six requests cite the Ohio Public Records Act (ORC 149.43). Government offices must respond within a reasonable time. Electronic records are typically free. You do not need to give a reason for your request.

Sources

References & Documentation

View all sources used in this report

SEC Filings

Corporate Press Releases & Websites

AEP Transmission & Utility Sources

Energy Policy & Regulatory

Local News (Findlay / Northwest Ohio)

Data Center Corridor Coverage

Findlay Zoning & Local Governance

Other