Ohio has had a great year, all thanks to record levels of oil and gas production and associated investments in new pipeline infrastructure and natural gas fired power plants.

And this trend is continuing.  Just this week, South Field Energy, a subsidiary of Advanced Power, announced a $1.1 billion dollar natural gas fired power plant in Ohio. This project will support 550 local construction jobs, 25 permanent jobs, and generate 1,100-megawatts of energy in Columbiana County.

Here is a list of some of the new projects and the amount of investment dollars they will bring to our state:

This project will directly address Ohio’s distinct need for increased energy production.  As noted by Jonathan Winslow the Senior Vice President for Development at Advanced Power:

“Ohioans face a growing gap in energy production. With facilities like this, we can begin to close that gap by using advanced technology to produce substantial, reliable power, while also minimizing our environmental footprint.”

In addition to reliable power, jobs, tax revenues, and investments South Field Energy has entered into an agreement to provide additional funding directly to local schools. This program is similar to the initiative undertaken in Carroll County, which has transformed local schools by offering additional resources for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education at no cost to the Ohio’s tax payers.

Given the success of the project in neighboring Carroll County, Columbiana County officials are excited. EID spoke with the President of the Board of Columbiana County Commissioners, who also serves as the President of the Ohio County Commissioners Association, Mike Halleck.  He told EID,

“We are very excited about the announcement of South Field Energy’s new natural gas fired power plant. Not only will it bring a boost to our economy through jobs and tax revenues, it will also directly support our local schools. This is just another example of how the oil and gas industry continues to help improve our county.”

The combination of impressive production out of Utica basin, new infrastructure coming on line, and an export route to international markets, there is simply no doubt that the success story of Ohio’s shale development is still unfolding and becoming increasingly exciting to watch.