Data center boom in US disrupting American countryside and entering midterm election battle
New Albany, Ohio, has become a major data center hub, with dozens of facilities operating or planned and substantial demands for electricity and water. Residents and consumer advocates are concerned about rising utility costs, pollution, noise and infrastructure expenses, while Ohio gubernatorial candidates are proposing temporary moratoriums and stricter requirements for new projects.
New Albany, Ohio, has emerged as a center of data center development, with about 40 facilities already operating and 28 more under construction or planned. The expansion, driven by artificial intelligence demand, has brought investment and tax benefits but also increased concerns about electricity and water consumption, higher utility rates, construction noise, traffic and potential air pollution from gas-fired power generation.
Residents and advocates argue that data center operators should pay for the infrastructure needed to serve their facilities. Maurine Willis of the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel said operators should bear those costs, while residents described disruption to their homes and concerns about air quality. Ohio gubernatorial candidates Amy Acton, Vivek Ramaswamy and Don Kissick have responded to the opposition by backing some form of temporary halt or conditional moratorium on new projects, along with measures involving energy costs, tax exemptions and environmental standards.