AWS Wilmington data center
Wilmington, Clinton County, OHDeveloper: Amazon (AWS)
Also known as Amazon Wilmington data center
- Rumored
- Proposed
- Approved
- Under construction
- Operating
Amazon Web Services plans a data center on a 471-acre parcel at 1488 S US 68 on the south side of Wilmington, with $4 billion in estimated capital expenditures. The site was annexed by City Council on Aug. 7, 2025, and a school compensation agreement was approved in November 2025. On Sept. 18, 2026, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled that a citizen initiative to add data center regulations to the city's zoning code cannot appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.
- Stated investment
- $4 billion
- estimated capital expenditures
- Site size
- 471 acres
- Permanent jobs (promised)
- 100
- minimum
Key facts
Size & schedule
| Site size | 471 acres [1]Source excerpt“The project will be developed on a 471-acre parcel on the south side of the city at 1488 S US 68, Wilmington, OH 45177.” |
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| Stated investment | $4 billion [2] estimated capital expenditures Source excerpt“$4 billion in estimated capital expenditures” |
| Permanent jobs (promised) | 100 [1] minimum Source excerpt“The project will result in a minimum of 100 new permanent jobs” |
| Construction jobs | over 200 [1]Source excerpt“The project will also result in over 200 construction jobs.” |
Power
| Utility | AES Ohio [1]Source excerpt“AWS will pay 100% of the cost of service to the project site and 100% of the cost of the electricity used at the project site.” |
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Water
| Water use | 6 million gallons per year [1] annual estimate; no daily figure given Source excerpt“The site will use an estimated 6 million gallons of water PER YEAR.” |
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Money & incentives
| Tax incentives | State data center sales- and use-tax exemption on eligible equipment [1]Source excerpt“The State of Ohio provides Data Center Tax Credits which provide a sales- and use-tax exemption on eligible data center equipment and related purchases.” |
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| Abatement term | 30 years [2]Source excerpt“30-year, 100% property tax abatement offset only by a 30% Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for an effective 70% tax abatement” |
| Payments / community benefits | 30% payment in lieu of taxes offsetting a 100% property tax abatement [2] as characterized by Policy Matters Ohio Source excerpt“30-year, 100% property tax abatement offset only by a 30% Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for an effective 70% tax abatement” |
Local decisions & site
| Parcel / address | 1488 S US 68, Wilmington, OH 45177 [1]Source excerpt“The project will be developed on a 471-acre parcel on the south side of the city at 1488 S US 68, Wilmington, OH 45177.” |
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Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.
Lawsuits
| State ex rel. Kidd v. Clinton Cty. Bd. of Elections | decided [5] The court held the board of elections could reject the Wilmington data center regulation initiative because it would create a private cause of action the city lacks power to enact. Supreme Court of Ohio · filed 2026 Source excerpt“A Supreme Court majority found the Clinton County Board of Elections could reject the placement of the proposed ordinance on the ballot because the proposal would create a 'private cause of action,' which is not within the city's power to enact.” |
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Timeline
Wilmington City Council approves annexation of the project site [1]
Wilmington City Schools Board of Education approves the School Compensation Agreement [1]
Clinton County Board of Elections votes unanimously not to certify a citizen data center regulation initiative [4]
Supreme Court of Ohio rules the initiative cannot appear on the Nov. 3 ballot [5]
Issues raised
- Policy Matters Ohio called the abatement deal a bad deal for Wilmington and said the 100 permanent jobs are not guaranteed [2]
- Some residents at a public meeting did not oppose the data center but objected to the specific location [3]
- The citizen initiative would have set standards for noise, lighting, emissions, generator testing, water use, wastewater and heat [4]
Sources
- Data Center FAQsClinton County Port Authority (Choose Clinton County) · Mar 27, 2026 · government
- Amazon data center proposal is a bad deal for WilmingtonPolicy Matters Ohio · Jan 7, 2026 · other
- Residents ask questions about plans for $4B Amazon data center in WilmingtonWHIO-TV (via Yahoo News) · 2025 · news
- Court rules proposed Wilmington data center ordinance cannot go before votersWKRC Local 12 · Sep 18, 2026 · news
- Proposed Data Center Regulations for Wilmington Will Not Be on November BallotCourt News Ohio · Sep 18, 2026 · court