Amazon Hilliard (Scioto Darby Creek Rd)

Power

Power and the grid

None energized or contracted yet · 72.9 MW permitted

AEP Ohio fuel cells (228 Bloom units)Permitted, projected Sept. 2027

72.9 MW

AEP Ohio builds and runs the plant under a contract in which Amazon pays all costs; Amazon calls the fuel cells temporary until grid upgrades are done (press) Company · Oct. 2026

Permitted

Other sources, size not disclosed

AEP Ohio grid service Capacity short, MW not stated
AEP says it lacks the electrical capacity to serve all of the planned buildings; the delivered grid MW is not on record Local government · Oct. 2026

Backup generators (emergency use, not a power supply)

Diesel backup generators Permit sought
Amazon is seeking a permit for 158 generators (press); megawatts not stated News report · Oct. 2026

Getting on the grid

Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.

Sept. 22, 2025
State siting board approves the fuel-cell plant
The Ohio Power Siting Board certifies the 72.9 MW, 228-unit plant for AEP Ohio. see Permits
Oct. 2026
Gas pipeline due in service
A new 8-inch gas pipeline for the fuel cells is expected to be finished and in service by October 2026 (press). News report · Oct. 2026

Permits

Permits checklist

2 withdrawn · 1 pending · 3 granted

Approvals a campus like this normally needs (including an air permit for backup or on-site generators), and what we found.

↩
City appeal of the air permit Withdrawn
Ohio Environmental Review Appeals Commission · Sept. 15, 2026: Hilliard withdrew the appeal; its council president said this is not an endorsement (press) News report · Sept. 2026
↩
Local site plan change for the fuel cells Withdrawn
Hilliard Planning and Zoning Commission · Oct. 20, 2025: AEP withdrew the local application after the Oct. 9 hearing, citing the state approval (press) News report · Sept. 2026
◷
Diesel backup generator permit (158 units) Pending
Ohio EPA · Oct. 2026: permit sought, per press News report · Oct. 2026
✓
Site plan for seven data-center buildings Granted
Hilliard Planning and Zoning Commission · July 14, 2022: approved July 14, 2022 on 151 acres Local government · Aug. 2024
✓
Certificate for the 72.9 MW fuel-cell plant Granted
Ohio Power Siting Board · Sept. 22, 2025: state siting law gives the board exclusive jurisdiction over plants above 50 MW Local government · Oct. 2026
✓
Air permit to install and operate (minor source) Granted
Ohio EPA · 2025: issued in fall 2025; the permit number was not located Company · Oct. 2026

Risks

What could slow it down

High
Grid cannot serve the full campus
AEP says it lacks the capacity to serve all of the planned buildings, so the fuel cells are a bridge and the later grid supply is undefined. Local government · Oct. 2026
Medium
Bridge power only
Amazon calls the fuel cells temporary until larger grid upgrades are finished; no date for those upgrades is on record (press). News report · Oct. 2026
Watch
City objections
Hilliard withdrew its appeal but said state law left its options limited and that the withdrawal is not an endorsement (press). see Permits
Watch
Backup diesel permit pending
Amazon is seeking a permit for 158 diesel backup generators; the outcome is not on record (press). see Permits

Money

Money on record

$200M investment Amazon must reach by Dec. 31, 2026 (condition of the city tax abatement; the city says Amazon has met or exceeded its requirements). Local government · Oct. 2026

All costs: paid by Amazon Web Services for the fuel-cell plant (equipment and pipeline infrastructure; the community bears none) Company · Oct. 2026

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming

July 14, 2022
Permits Hilliard approves a site plan for a seven-building data-center complex on 151 acres Local government · Aug. 2024
Sept. 22, 2025
Permits Ohio Power Siting Board approves the 72.9 MW fuel-cell plant Local government · Oct. 2026
Oct. 20, 2025
Permits AEP withdraws its local site-plan application, relying on the state approval (press) News report · Sept. 2026
Nov. 7, 2025
Legal The city of Hilliard appeals the Ohio EPA air permit for the fuel cells (press) News report · Sept. 2026
Sept. 15, 2026
Legal Hilliard withdraws its appeal of the air permit (press) News report · Sept. 2026
Oct. 2026
Power Gas pipeline for the fuel cells is due in service (press) News report · Oct. 2026
End of 2026
Money Deadline for Amazon to reach $200 million of investment under the city tax abatement Local government · Oct. 2026
Sept. 2027
Power Fuel-cell plant projected to be operating (AEP projection) Local government · Oct. 2026

Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners

Amazon Data Services, Inc.: site applicant

Power partners

Ohio Power Company (AEP Ohio): builds and runs the fuel-cell plant
Bloom Energy: fuel-cell supplier
Northeast Ohio Natural Gas Corporation: builds the gas pipeline (press)

Decision-makers

Ohio Power Siting Board and Ohio EPA: state approvals
City of Hilliard: appealed, then withdrew

Still unknown

Open questions

How much grid power the campus will get and when.
Total campus load in MW once all seven buildings are built.
The Ohio EPA permit number and the outcome of the diesel generator permit.

Where this comes from

49 records from 8 documents

Drawn from local government records, news reports, public and commercial datasets and company statements, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

Local government 3News report 3Dataset 2Company 1

Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (10)

Campus name: Amazon Hilliard (Scioto Darby Creek Road)
“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”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
On-site generation: 72.9 MW
“Amazon Web Services (AWS) contracted with Ohio Power to construct, install and operate a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system made up of 228 Energy Servers® to provide 72.9 megawatts (MW) of power”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
On-site fuel cell units: 228 units
“The project will consist of 228 Bloom Energy fuel cell units that produce electricity through an electrochemical reaction, not combustion”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Utility: AEP Ohio (Ohio Power Company)
“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”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Source record
“There are currently no plans to install fuel cells at any other location within the city of Hilliard”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Construction stage: Approved plan comprises 7 data center buildings, an Amazon transformer yard and an AEP substation; construction documents run from the Nov 2022 permit set through a Dec 2024 construction set; the fuel
“The approved Level “B” Site Plan originally consisted of 7 data center buildings, an Amazon transformer yard, and an AEP substation”
Local government · Oct. 2025 · grade B
Level B Site Plan modification (landscaping / transmission easements): approved
“On August 8, 2024, the Commission approved modifications to the Level “B” Site Plan necessary to adjust landscaping to conform to easement restrictions associated with the installation of transmission lines for the AEP substation located at the site”
Local government · Oct. 2025 · grade B
Amazon states the fuel cells are a temporary measure: AEP will use them to power part of the data center operations while larger Ohio grid infrastructure upgrades are completed; the city FAQ likewise anticipates fuel cel
“In Hilliard, the local utility, AEP, will temporarily use fuel cells to power part of our data center operations while larger Ohio power infrastructure upgrades are completed”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Bloom Energy's November 2024 agreement with AEP covers up to 1 GW of fuel cells for Ohio data center sites with an initial 100 MW order - PORTFOLIO figure only (AEP also supplies Cologix and Amazon sites); it is NOT this
“The fuel cells would be supplied by Bloom Energy, which signed a 1GW deal with AEP Ohio in November 2024”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
After the Oct. 9, 2025 P&Z hearing on PZ-25-59 (decision postponed), AEP withdrew its application to the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, asserting the OPSB approval was all that was required under ORC 4906.13(B);
“The city's appeal was in response to American Electric Power, which own the natural-gas powered fuel cells, withdrawing its application to the city's planning and zoning commission”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C

Money and contracts (3)

Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) abatement agreement: property tax abatement with investment commitment Total investment of $200 million required by Dec. 31, 2026; Hilliard School District receives up to $3.4 million an
“The CRA required Amazon to make a total investment of $200 million by Dec. 31, 2026”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Behind-the-meter fuel cell service contract: private agreement - construct, install and operate; customer bears all costs 72.9 MW SOFC system (228 Bloom Energy Servers); AWS covers all project costs (fuel cell equ
“The fuel cell project is part of a contract between Ohio Power and AWS, which will cover all costs (fuel cell equipment, pipeline infrastructure, etc.) associated with it”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Natural gas pipeline construction and operation agreement: build, operate and maintain the fuel supply pipeline and associated natural gas facilities 8-inch natural gas pipeline serving the fuel cell facility; pipeline a
“As part of the agreement, Hope Utilities' local subsidiary, Northeast Ohio Natural Gas Corporation (NEO), will build, operate, and maintain the pipeline and associated natural gas facilities for this project”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C

Permits and government (12)

Certificate: approved (effective)
“The Ohio Power Siting Board approved this fuel cell project on Sept. 22, 2025”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Permit to Install and Operate (air, minor source): issued
“Based on the project's low overall air emissions, the project is considered a “minor source” and the Ohio EPA issued a Permit to Install and Operate (PTIO) for this project”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Zoning: M-1, Restricted Industrial District
“On October 27, 2014, the site was zoned to M1, Restricted Industrial District (Ordinance 14-29). On November 12, 2020, data centers were added as permitted uses within the M-1 zoning district (Ordinance 20-36)”
Local government · Oct. 2025 · grade B
Variance (tree replacement amendment): approved
“On August 15, 2024, the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance (BZA-24-13) to amend tree replacement requirements associated with this modification”
Local government · Oct. 2025 · grade B
Level B Site Plan Minor Change (fuel cell system): heard Oct. 9, 2025 - staff recommended approval; local application later withdrawn by the applicant side (see signals)
“The proposal consists of installing 228 fuel cells (outdoor natural gas clean packaged energy servers) in place of the previously approved Building G located in the southern central portion of the site”
Local government · Oct. 2025 · grade B
Buildings planned: 7 buildings
“On July 14, 2022, a Level “B” Site Plan was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZ-22-33) for the construction of a seven-building data center complex”
Local government · Aug. 2024 · grade B
Level B Site Plan approval: approved
“On July 14, 2022, a Level “B” Site Plan was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZ-22-33) for the construction of a seven-building data center complex”
Local government · Aug. 2024 · grade B
Variances: granted
“On July 21, 2022, a series of variances were granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA-22-24) necessary for the approved Level “B” Site Plan”
Local government · Aug. 2024 · grade B
Announced: July 14, 2022
“On July 14, 2022, a Level "B" Site Plan was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZ-22-33) for the construction of a seven-building data center complex.”
Local government · July 2022 · grade B
Amazon is seeking a permit to operate 158 diesel backup generators at the site (per DCD, reporting Signal Ohio)
“Amazon is also seeking a permit to operate 158 diesel backup generators at the site”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Administrative appeal: filed
“The City of Hilliard filed the appeal on Nov. 7, 2025, the final day in a 30-day window that was allowed to file an appeal after the Ohio EPA had issued a permit to install the fuel cells”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Administrative appeal: withdrawn
“The operation of up to 228 natural-gas powered fuel cells for an Amazon Web Services data center on Scioto-Darby Road can occur after the City of Hilliard announced on Sept. 15 that is has withdrawn its appeal”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C

Site and other (6)

Address: 4186 Scioto Darby Creek Rd, Hilliard, OH 43026
“at 4186 Scioto Darby Creek Road, within Amazon's 142-acre data-center campus”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Project status: building
“AEP has indicated that construction for the project will start in January 2026 with the facility projected to be operational by September 2027”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Parcel ID: 050-002806
“Parcel Number(s): 050-002806”
Local government · Oct. 2025 · grade B
County code: 39049
“PARCEL NUMBER: 050-002806”
Local government · Aug. 2024 · grade B
Site acres: 151.27 acres
“Review and approval of changes to the Level “B” Site Plan to modify the approved landscaping plan for a data center complex on a 151.27-acre site”
Local government · Aug. 2024 · grade B
Developer: Amazon Data Services, Inc.
“APPLICANT: Amazon Data Services Inc., 410 Terry Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98108”
Local government · Aug. 2024 · grade B