Ohio Governor Candidates' Plans for Regulating Data Centers
Ohio's gubernatorial candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy and Amy Acton with David Pepper, are addressing the rapid expansion of data centers in the state. They propose different regulatory methods to tackle community concerns regarding energy and water consumption, tax breaks, and transparency.
The rapid expansion of data centers has become a significant issue in communities across Northeast Ohio and is now a major topic in the race for Ohio Governor. Data centers face growing pushback due to massive energy consumption, high water usage, and billions in state tax breaks.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy supports future data center development but proposes regulating them by requiring the use of best technology to minimize water consumption. He emphasizes that hyperscale users should be responsible for bringing at least the energy they consume, acknowledging environmental and energy usage concerns.
Democratic candidates Amy Acton and her running mate David Pepper take a harder stance. Pepper states that residents should not have to pay more due to a data center moving in, advocating for this as an absolute baseline set by the state. He also plans to enact major changes addressing transparency and safety, including banning non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that companies frequently ask public officials to sign, and preventing pollution of water tables.
Opposition is also fueled by reports of $1.6 billion in state tax breaks given to data centers, which Pepper believes need to be reined in. Lawmakers have previously attempted to pass legislation to reduce these tax breaks.