As voter registration deadline looms, Ohio candidates weigh in on issues like data centers
Ohio candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate offered differing views on data center development ahead of the election. Their positions included local control, requiring data centers to pay for power infrastructure, concerns about electricity rates and environmental impacts, and support for a conditional moratorium.
Candidates competing for Ohio governor and a U.S. Senate seat outlined contrasting approaches to data center development as the voter registration deadline approached. Republican Senate candidate Jon Husted said local governments should decide whether projects’ jobs and tax revenues outweigh their costs, while arguing that data centers should pay for their electricity and related infrastructure. Democrat Sherrod Brown criticized data companies for potentially increasing electric rates without sufficient community input.
In the governor’s race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy said data centers should only be allowed if they benefit local communities. Democrat Amy Acton backed a conditional moratorium, citing concerns about energy requirements, transparency, water use and air quality. The article focuses on campaign positions rather than a specific data center project or government action.