Data centers front and center in Ohio Senate race
The debate surrounding a multibillion-dollar data center project in Pike County, Ohio, involving OpenAI, S.B. Energy, NVIDIA, and the U.S. Department of Energy, has become a central issue in the Ohio Senate race. Candidates Jon Husted and Sherrod Brown are clashing over who should bear the costs of the immense electricity demands and whether Ohio should continue offering tax breaks to attract tech companies. Husted proposed a bill to make large power users cover infrastructure costs, which passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
The Ohio Senate race, a toss-up between Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted and Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown, has been significantly shaped by the debate over data center development in the state. A massive data center project planned for federal land in southeastern Ohio, specifically Pike County, is a key point of contention. This multibillion-dollar facility, a partnership involving OpenAI, S.B. Energy, NVIDIA, and the U.S. Department of Energy, is projected to create 35,000 jobs and attract $120 million in community investment but will require an enormous 8 gigawatts of electricity.
Both Husted and Brown agree that tech companies should pay for the power infrastructure their data centers demand, rather than shifting costs to consumers. However, they diverge on accountability for existing projects and the policy of offering tax incentives to attract more companies. Husted introduced a bill requiring state utility regulators to consider standards for large power users to cover infrastructure costs, which passed the House but was blocked in the Senate. Brown's campaign, on the other hand, has run ads advocating for an end to Ohio's tax breaks for tech companies, featuring an Ohio man opposing Google's data center in Lancaster due to higher electricity bills. While Husted, as former lieutenant governor, defended tax breaks for Google's New Albany facility, Brown previously supported data center development.