A Nuclear Plant Is Coming to Pike County — But Who Actually Benefits?
When news broke that a nuclear power project tied to Meta could be coming to Pike County, Ohio, the initial reaction was predictable: jobs, tax revenue, economic revival. Those hopes are understandable. Rural counties have been conditioned for decades to see large infrastructure projects as lifelines. But when you examine this project closely — how nuclear plants actually operate, who staffs them, and where Ohio tax policy is heading — the promised benefits become far less certain. This is not an emotional argument against nuclear energy. It is a structural one about incentives, governance, and who captures value. First, Let’s Be Clear About What This Project Is — and Isn’t Meta is not building or operating a nuclear plant in Pike County. Instead, Meta has entered into long-term power agreements with an advanced nuclear developer, Oklo, to secure electricity for its AI-driven data centers. The electricity will flow into the regional grid, but the plant is being developed to meet the ne...
