DevelopOhio

How did Ohio secure a multi-billion-dollar investment from Honda Motor Co. to build its electric battery plant near Dayton? Economic development teamwork. What started as a project request for a “possible $4 billion manufacturing facility” for a then-anonymous company led to a coordinated effort between JobsOhio, the Dayton Development Coalition, Fayette County and AES Ohio (formerly Dayton Power & Light) that landed the “largest foreign investment in Ohio’s history,” the Dayton Business Journal reports. Two major hurdles to the future site of the plant were water and power; the electric battery plant “requires 1.6 million gallons of water each day” as well as “an advanced electric grid to supply the necessary energy,” according to the article. The water issue was solved through plans to run a 20-mile water line to Caesar Creek, which required “approvals from many Ohio entities.” AES Ohio will build “12 miles of high-gauge transmission lines” plus a “Fayette County electric substation” to provide sufficient power for the plant. The battery plant, once operational, is expected to create 2,500 jobs. Batteries produced at the facility will supply Honda auto plants across North America. For more, read the full article (subscription may be required).