Jefferson County commissioners signal interest in potential SableCore data center

STEUBENVILLE — A potential artificial intelligence data center in Jefferson County has received an initial expression of interest from county commissioners, but significant questions remain about where the proposed facility would be located and how far development plans have progressed.

The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 27 to forward correspondence to Cedar One Realty expressing a willingness to enter preliminary, noncommittal discussions concerning a potential data center proposed by SableCore.

The action comes amid separate efforts to redevelop the former W.H. Sammis Power Plant in Stratton and the nearby Hollow Rock facility for data center and energy-related operations.

Commissioners acknowledge SableCore proposal

According to the Aug. 27 commissioners' minutes, Commissioner Eric Timmons moved to forward correspondence to Cedar One Realty concerning a possible data center facility proposed by SableCore.

Commissioner Tony Morelli seconded the motion, and Commissioner Ronald K. Kleineke joined them in voting in favor.

“The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners is open to having preliminary noncommittal discussions regarding the potential development of a data center facility on property located within Jefferson County by SableCore,” the commissioners wrote.

The letter expressed optimism about the possibility of economic development, job creation and investment.

However, the commissioners made clear that their willingness to discuss the proposal did not constitute approval.

“This letter is not a commitment, approval, or endorsement of any specific plans, permits, or agreements, and does not bind the County to any particular course of action,” the correspondence states.

The action is recorded in Volume 80, Page 609, of the commissioners' minutes.

The letter does not identify a proposed location, acreage, construction timetable, investment amount or anticipated number of jobs.

It also does not explain Cedar One Realty's precise role in the project beyond being the recipient of the correspondence.

SableCore Capital promotes the development of large-scale, power-intensive infrastructure for data centers and related computing operations.

Whether the company has purchased land, secured options or identified a specific site in Jefferson County has not been established by the commissioners' correspondence.

No newer public announcement confirming a specific SableCore site or development agreement could be independently verified for this report.

Former Sammis plant eyed for new development

While details of SableCore's proposal remain limited, separate plans to transform the former W.H. Sammis Power Plant property and nearby Hollow Rock facility have been publicly outlined.

Energy Transition & Environmental Management, or ETEM, acquired the two properties from Energy Harbor in September 2023, following the retirement of the coal-fired Sammis generating station.

The Houston-based company is positioning the properties for potential data center and energy infrastructure development.

ETEM identifies approximately 170 acres at the Sammis property and roughly 900 acres at Hollow Rock.

The former power plant has existing high-voltage electrical infrastructure that could be useful for energy-intensive operations.

ETEM's published plans also envision potential on-site natural gas generation and additional utility infrastructure to serve future tenants.

The company has outlined a possible 300 megawatts of utility power by 2030, with a potential earlier timeline, as well as an additional 1-gigawatt load request.

Those figures represent development plans rather than confirmed operating capacity.

ETEM's published project information identifies the fourth quarter of 2026 as a target for completing demolition and remediation at Sammis. The company also projects approximately 200 permanent jobs from the broader redevelopment effort.

Those employment figures remain projections, not confirmed positions.

There is no verified agreement establishing that SableCore intends to locate at Sammis or Hollow Rock or that it is participating in ETEM's redevelopment plans. 

State funding supports redevelopment

The former Sammis property has received state funding intended to support environmental cleanup and redevelopment.

In December 2024, the Ohio Department of Development awarded the Jefferson County Port Authority $422,500 through the Brownfield Remediation Program for asbestos abatement involving the plant's coal conveyor system and associated structures.

A second award, totaling $300,000, was announced in May 2026 for a project identified as the “ETEM Sammis Plant Site Assessment.”

According to the state, the funding will support Phase II environmental investigations, a groundwater classification study, a limited human-health risk assessment and preparation of a remedial action plan.

The state estimates that the project could create 220 jobs, although those positions are projected rather than confirmed.

Together, the two awards total $722,500 in state brownfield funding.

County commissioners also took separate action in support of redevelopment.

On July 31, 2025, commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 2025-12, requesting Priority Investment Area designation for property at or near Sammis and Hollow Rock.

The designation was sought to encourage redevelopment of the former industrial properties and provide a five-year tax exemption for certain qualifying electricity and natural gas transmission equipment under Ohio law.

The resolution cited the closure of the Sammis plant, which formerly employed more than 300 people, and the resulting losses in employment and tax revenue.

The action illustrates the county's interest in attracting new investment to industrial properties affected by the retirement of traditional energy facilities.

Wellsville project adds to regional interest

The potential Jefferson County developments are not the only large-scale data center proposals attracting attention along the Ohio River.

Near Wellsville, in Columbiana County's Yellow Creek Township, developer Zuharis is pursuing plans for Project Astralus, a proposed campus combining artificial intelligence computing infrastructure with on-site natural gas electricity generation.

According to the developer, the proposed project would include 3 gigawatts of generating capacity and a minimum of 2.5 gigawatts of data center computing capacity.

One gigawatt equals 1,000 megawatts.

Zuharis describes the facility as a behind-the-meter development, meaning electricity generated on-site would be dedicated to serving the computing campus.

The company has identified 2027 as its target for the first phase of operations.

The proposed development was discussed during a public meeting in May, when residents raised questions about potential environmental impacts, water use, noise and other effects on surrounding properties.

The company's announced capacities and construction schedule remain projections. The public meeting and ongoing development activity do not, by themselves, establish that all necessary permits have been issued.

Warwood data center proposal faces legal challenge

Another proposed data center in the Upper Ohio Valley is facing organized opposition just south of Brooke County, in Warwood.

The proposal involves the former Centre Foundry and Machine Co. property along Route 2, where Silicon Foundation Energy LLC has announced plans for a data center and energy technology campus.

The approximately 15-acre industrial property was purchased for a reported $1.5 million.

The proposed project has drawn scrutiny from residents concerned about its potential effects on the surrounding neighborhood, including noise, air emissions, increased lighting, stormwater runoff, flooding and electricity demand.

On Sept. 16, Wheeling City Council agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the developer. According to WV MetroNews, the agreement limits the proposed operation to no more than 90 megawatts of power and allows the city to explore using tax increment financing for economic development projects.

The agreement does not mean the facility has been built or that all questions about the project have been resolved.

On Oct. 15, Warwood residents filed a civil lawsuit in Ohio County Circuit Court seeking temporary and permanent court orders to prevent construction and operation of the proposed facility.

The lawsuit challenges whether the development is permitted under the property's existing industrial zoning and questions the constitutionality of provisions in West Virginia's House Bill 2014, which governs data center development.

Residents also have raised concerns about electricity reliability, utility costs and nearby property values.

The controversy illustrates how proposed data center developments can generate questions about land use, infrastructure, environmental oversight and public involvement before a project reaches operation.

Residents organize, questions grow

The prospect of large-scale data centers has also prompted organized opposition and calls for greater public scrutiny.

Local Facebook groups, including Jefferson County Ohio Residents for Responsible Development and Jefferson County Concerned Citizens, provide forums for residents following the issue.

Aubriana DiCarlo has publicly promoted the Conserve Ohio petition effort, encouraging residents to participate in signature collection and directing them to Jefferson County Ohio Residents for Responsible Development for additional information.

In a Facebook post promoting a June petition drive, DiCarlo invited residents to sign the statewide petition during Steubenville's First Friday event.

Conserve Ohio is seeking a constitutional amendment that would prohibit construction of new data centers exceeding a 25-megawatt electrical demand threshold.

Organizers initially sought a place on the November 2026 ballot but have shifted their goal to November 2027.

In a Sept. 8 update, the organization reported collecting more than 130,000 signatures statewide.

The proposal has not been enacted and does not currently prohibit data center construction.

Among the concerns raised by opponents of large-scale data centers are potential increases in electricity costs, demands on water resources, environmental impacts, noise and the amount of permanent employment generated relative to the size of the developments.

The actual effects of any individual project would depend on its location, equipment, energy sources, cooling systems and utility agreements.

For Jefferson County residents, the absence of a publicly identified SableCore site leaves many project-specific questions unanswered.

Without knowing where the facility might be built, its electrical requirements or its water needs, it remains difficult to assess how the proposal could affect nearby communities.

Questions remain unanswered

The emerging proposals offer the possibility of new industrial investment in a region that has experienced the closure of major energy and manufacturing facilities.

At the same time, the scale of proposed AI computing operations raises questions about infrastructure, environmental oversight and the economic benefits that would reach surrounding communities.

The projects are not all at the same stage.

ETEM has acquired the Sammis and Hollow Rock properties and undertaken redevelopment activities supported by state brownfield awards and county economic development action.

Zuharis has publicly outlined a multi-gigawatt project near Wellsville.

In Warwood, the proposed data center faces a legal challenge from residents.

SableCore's potential Jefferson County development, however, remains at an earlier publicly documented stage, with county commissioners expressing willingness to participate in preliminary discussions.

The Ohio Valley Current has sought information from companies, public officials and community representatives regarding proposed data center development and redevelopment efforts in Jefferson County and the surrounding region and will update this report as additional information becomes available and responses to its inquiries are received.