Southern Ohio may soon find itself at the center of one of the largest energy developments in the country.
Federal officials announced a proposed $33 billion natural gas power facility near Portsmouth, a project so large it would become the biggest natural gas power generation site in the United States—and one of the largest in the world.
The announcement came as part of a broader national investment package unveiled by Donald Trump, who highlighted Ohio as a key location for rebuilding America’s industrial and energy infrastructure.
Among the projects announced nationwide, the Portsmouth-area facility stood out for both its scale and its potential impact on southern Ohio.
A Power Plant Big Enough to Supply Millions of Homes
According to a Department of Commerce fact sheet, the Portsmouth Powered Land Project would be built in the vicinity of Portsmouth, Ohio and developed by SB Energy, a subsidiary of SoftBank.
Key details include:
- Cost: $33 billion
- Capacity: 9.2 gigawatts (GW)
- Project Type: Natural gas power generation
- Scale: Among the largest gas plants on Earth
To put that in perspective, 9.2 GW is enough electricity to power millions of homes.
Officials describe the project as a “dispatchable” energy facility—meaning it can provide steady, reliable power on demand, unlike wind or solar, which depend on weather conditions.
Why This Matters Locally
This announcement comes as southern Ohio faces growing pressure on its power grid from multiple data center projects, including facilities already under construction or being proposed across Scioto, Pike, Lawrence, and neighboring counties.
Data centers—massive buildings filled with computer servers—require enormous amounts of electricity to run and cool their systems around the clock.
Residents recently raised those concerns at packed Scioto County Commissioner meetings, questioning whether the region’s infrastructure could handle the load.
Federal officials say this new gas facility is designed in part to relieve that strain, helping support data centers already planned for Ohio—including the proposed Google campus in Franklin Furnace.
Not Just Gas: Nuclear Is Also Coming to Pike County
At the same time, Pike County is moving forward with plans for advanced nuclear power, where Meta (the parent company of Facebook) has committed funding to help develop reactors that could eventually generate up to 1.2 GW of clean energy for its regional data centers.
Together, the proposed projects would include:
- A massive natural gas plant near Portsmouth
- Two advanced nuclear reactors planned in Pike County
- Multiple data centers across southern Ohio
If completed, these developments would elevate the region into a major national energy and digital infrastructure hub—something few could have imagined just a few years ago.
President Highlights Ohio in National Investment Push
In announcing the projects, President Trump said Ohio was selected as part of a broader effort tied to international trade agreements and large-scale private investment.
Among his remarks:
“Today, I am pleased to announce three tremendous projects… including power generation in the great state of Ohio.”
He credited trade negotiations with Japan for helping unlock hundreds of billions in potential U.S. investment and said the Ohio gas plant would be “the largest in history.”
Local officials stress that while the announcement came from Washington, what matters most here is what these projects could mean on the ground: jobs, infrastructure, and long-term economic activity.
A Region in Transition
For decades, southern Ohio has struggled with plant closures, population loss, and limited large-scale development.
Now, between energy projects and data centers, the area is being looked at in a very different light.
Supporters point to:
- Thousands of construction jobs
- Long-term operations positions
- Increased tax revenue
- New infrastructure investment
Skeptics continue to raise important questions about environmental impact, water use, noise, and whether permanent jobs will match the scale of the investment.
Those conversations are ongoing.
The Bigger Picture
Whether it’s natural gas, nuclear power, or data centers, one thing is clear: these facilities are being built somewhere.
For southern Ohio, the moment feels pivotal.
If these projects move forward, the region could shift from being known mainly for its past industries to playing a key role in America’s future energy and technology supply—bringing both opportunity and responsibility along with it.
For now, residents and leaders alike are watching closely as plans develop—hopeful, cautious, and keenly aware that decisions made today could shape Portsmouth and the surrounding counties for generations.
