Southern Ohio’s Energy Boom: What Pike County’s Billion-Dollar Projects Mean for the Region

If you haven’t been following the news out of Pike County lately, you’re in for a surprise. The former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site near Piketon is quickly becoming one of the most significant energy and technology development zones in the entire country. Multiple projects totaling tens of billions of dollars in investment are converging on a single location in southern Ohio, and the impact is going to reach well beyond Pike County’s borders.

What’s Happening at the PORTS Site

Three major projects are driving the transformation. Centrus Energy received a $900 million Department of Energy contract to expand uranium enrichment operations at Piketon, creating an estimated 1,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent positions. Advanced nuclear company Oklo has partnered with Meta to develop a 1.2-gigawatt nuclear power campus on 206 acres of the PORTS property, with plans for up to 16 reactors designed to support data center operations in the region. And in the largest announcement yet, SoftBank is building a $33 billion natural gas power plant and 10-gigawatt data center campus on the same site, backed by a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and AEP Ohio.

Combined, these projects represent the kind of investment that reshapes an entire region.

The Ripple Effect Across Southern Ohio

Thousands of construction workers, engineers, technicians, and support staff will be needed over the coming years. Many of them will relocate from out of state. And while the projects are centered in Pike County, the workforce will spread across the surrounding communities. Chillicothe in Ross County is the largest nearby city and a natural home base for many workers and the businesses that support them. Portsmouth in Scioto County sits just 30 minutes south with established housing and services. Waverly, the Pike County seat, and Jackson in neighboring Jackson County will both see increased demand for commercial space and housing.

Beyond the direct jobs, this kind of development drives growth in professional services, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and construction across the board. New offices open. Existing businesses expand. Support contractors set up regional operations. The economic modeling for the PORTS redevelopment specifically identifies Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Jackson counties as the primary impact zone.

What This Means for Moving

Large-scale projects create large-scale moving needs. Companies establishing offices in the region need commercial moving services that can handle everything from IT infrastructure to modular furniture systems. Employers hiring from out of state need employee relocation programs that coordinate household moves quickly and professionally. And individual workers and families moving to southern Ohio for these opportunities need reliable local movers who know the area.

Herlihy Moving & Storage has been based in Chillicothe since 1920. Our office on Marietta Road is roughly 30 minutes from the PORTS campus, giving us direct access to Pike County and every surrounding community in the impact zone. We’ve handled commercial moves for hospitals, law firms, government offices, universities, and large corporations across Ohio. That experience is exactly what energy sector and technology companies need when they’re getting set up on a tight timeline.

Herlihy Is Ready When You Are

Whether you’re a company opening an office in Waverly, a contractor setting up a field operation near Piketon, or a family relocating to Chillicothe for a new job, Herlihy Moving & Storage has been doing this for over 100 years. Request your free quote or call us at 740-775-6683 to talk about your move. We’ll take it from there.