Opinion: To meet climate goals, Columbus leaders must address data centers

The Columbus City Council is set to present its draft proposal for municipal data center policy this week, prompting an urgent call for residents to advocate for robust safeguards. Becca Pollard, executive director of the Buckeye Environmental Network, argues that these policies are crucial for Columbus to meet its climate goals amid accelerating climate change impacts, such as recent record-breaking air quality issues in Ohio attributed to fossil fuel burning.

The city's 2021 Climate Action Plan aimed to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030, but emissions have actually risen by nearly 1 million metric tons since then. This challenge is compounded by the rapid growth of data centers in central Ohio, which now ranks seventh nationally for data center energy consumption. These facilities, often powered by fossil fuels, contribute significantly to increased demand for gas-fired power and strain the electrical grid.

Environmental concerns extend to water usage, with data centers in Columbus reportedly consuming 3 percent of the city's municipal water, not including facilities in nearby municipalities like New Albany that source water from Columbus. The process of fracking for natural gas, a major energy source for data centers, also has significant cumulative impacts on Ohio’s water resources. The Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee, chaired by council member Christopher Wyche, will host the policy presentation, providing an opportunity for public input before the policies are finalized. Pollard emphasizes the need for public pressure to ensure meaningful policies that address these critical environmental impacts.