Cover Story: Brownfields - the data center solution?
Ohio's data center committee is exploring brownfield sites as a potential solution for data center locations in the state, addressing public concerns about noise, energy, and water usage. This approach leverages existing infrastructure and allows developers to fund environmental cleanup, as seen in examples of proposed and ongoing projects in McDonald, Ohio, and Sharon, Pennsylvania. The initiative aims to modernize the electrical grid and ensure sustainable water use through closed-loop systems.
Matt Stone's "Cover Story" on WFMJ investigates brownfields as a potential solution for data center locations in Ohio. The discussion follows the first-ever meeting of Ohio's data center committee, which heard resident concerns regarding traffic, noise, energy consumption, and water usage from proposed data centers across the state.
Lawmakers on the committee suggested repurposing brownfield sites, which are former industrial lands often polluted but possess existing power, water, and fiber infrastructure, and are already zoned for industrial use. Proponents argue that data center developers are often willing to fund the cleanup of these long-neglected properties, alleviating the financial burden traditionally borne by the government. It was also noted that data centers have "deep pockets" and government's primary role could be to expedite permitting processes.
The report highlights specific examples, including a proposed data center on a brownfield in McDonald, Ohio, and another already under construction on a 17-acre brownfield site on Clark Street in Sharon, Pennsylvania. This latter project is expected to involve tens of millions of dollars in electrical grid modernization, not borne by residents, and will utilize a closed-loop system to minimize impact on Sharon's water supply. The segment concludes by emphasizing the national security importance of keeping data stored domestically.