The commercial sector is now the largest electricity consumer in Ohio, driven by data center expansions

The commercial sector is now the largest electricity consumer in Ohio, driven by data center expansions. For the twelve months ending in November 2025, electricity sales to commercial customers averaged 4,700 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per month, more than the residential sector’s average monthly sales of 4,500 million kWh. Commercial electricity sales surpassed residential sales for the first time on a twelve-month moving average basis in August 2025 and now account for 35% of all electricity sales in Ohio. Commercial sales surpassed those to the industrial sector in December 2024.

This surge in electricity demand has contributed to tighter natural gas balances in the state. Also based on a twelve-month moving average, natural gas consumption was 3.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in October 2025, near an all-time high for the state and driven by growth in natural gas consumption for electric power. In contrast to Ohio’s consumption growth, marketed production of natural gas has declined ~25% from its peak in late 2019. As a result, the balance between Ohio’s natural gas production and consumption is narrowing.