The project is a proposed 72.9-megawatt solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electric generation facility at 4186 Scioto Darby Creek Road, within Amazon’s 142-acre data -center campus. It will occupy about 6.4 acres and be constructed, owned, and operated by Ohio Power Company (AEP Ohio) to serve Amazon’s onsite electricity demand. The system will operate behind the meter, meaning its power will be used directly by Amazon rather than distributed to the electrical grid.
AEP Ohio is responsible for installation and operation, while Amazon will cover all project costs under a private agreement.
The project will consist of 228 Bloom Energy fuel cell units that produce electricity through an electrochemical reaction, not combustion. Natural gas reacts with steam and air inside the cells to generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide, producing electricity and a small amount of water vapor and heat. A Bloom Energy video describing this process can be viewed below or at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN4Z0iFifxc
AEP has indicated that it does not have sufficient electrical capacity to service all of the planned data center buildings on Amazon’s Scioto Darby Road campus. This is a regional electrical issue caused by an increased demand for electricity.
The Ohio Power Siting Board approved this fuel cell project on Sept. 22, 2025. AEP has indicated that construction for the project will start in January 2026 with the facility projected to be operational by September 2027.
The State of Ohio has established a legal process under Section 4906.13(B) of the Ohio Revised Code for approval of power generation facilities greater than 50MW that provides exclusive jurisdiction to the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). No local government may require a permit or otherwise condition the construction and operation of a facility having an OPSB Certificate. Hilliard’s local laws and zoning controls cannot conflict with this section of Ohio Revised Code and the authority of the Ohio Power Siting Board.
Noise studies indicate that sound levels at the property boundary will be about 33 decibels, well below typical ambient neighborhood noise.
While fuel cells are cleaner than other traditional sources of electricity generation, they still emit carbon dioxide as a by-product of the natural-gas-to-hydrogen conversion. The 228 fuel cells proposed for the Amazon site are projected to emit up to 1.45 million pounds of C02 daily – comparable to the output of 66,000 gasoline vehicles. Based on concerns about the volume of CO2 produced by the fuel cells, as well as the potential health impacts on nearby residents, the City has requested that AEP and Bloom Energy install carbon-capture technologies as part of the project to minimize these emissions.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency enforces the Clean Air Act. While greenhouse gases such as CO2 are regulated to some extent by the Clean Air Act, the current regulatory requirements do not always require CO2 emissions to be addressed in air pollution control permits. Where a source’s emissions of other regulated pollutants (i.e., particulate emissions, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, lead) do not exceed federally established thresholds, CO2 emission limitations will not be included in an air pollution control permit. This is the case for the air pollution control permit that was issued for the emissions associated with the fuel cells.
No. The facility will not export power to the grid. It is strictly designed to serve Amazon’s internal load rather than the transmission grid serving that load.
A separate 8-inch gas pipeline will provide fuel for the fuel cells. A final route for the natural gas line has not been determined, but it is anticipated that this line will route through Columbus including the former Buckeye rail yard. Ohio Power Siting Board does not require pre-installation regulatory approval for intrastate gas pipelines that are nine inches or less in outside diameter and serve a single customer. PUCO does not require pre-application prior to installing intrastate pipelines serving single customers. More information is needed to make a final determination of what, if any, public process applies prior to the installation of the gas pipeline.
No. The City of Hilliard has a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) agreement with Amazon that abates property taxes for data center buildings. The CRA required Amazon to make a total investment of $200 million by Dec. 31, 2026. The Hilliard School District receives up to $3.4 million annually — $400,000 plus $1.50 per square foot of building, with up to two million square feet planned, for the term of the agreement. Amazon has met and/or exceeded all of these requirements in the CRA.
It is anticipated that fuel cells would only be utilized until sufficient electrical capacity could be obtained through AEP transmission lines for the facility. AEP has indicated that it has a six-year agreement with Bloom Energy for the fuel cells on the Amazon site.
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