OEC meeting discusses future of data centers in Ohio
The Ohio Environmental Council hosted a meeting to inform residents about the environmental and financial concerns surrounding hyperscale data centers in Central Ohio. Discussion highlighted increased electricity costs for Ohioans, significant water consumption with a lack of transparency, and inadequate state regulations. Efforts are underway to pass House Bill 646, which aims to address these issues by regulating energy costs, water use, and tax exemptions.
The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) held a meeting at the Bexley Public Library to inform residents about the increasing presence and impact of hyperscale data centers in Central Ohio. Annalisa Roca, OEC's central Ohio regional director, outlined concerns regarding significant energy demand, water consumption, and economic costs.
Data centers are driving up electricity costs for Ohio residents, with PJM Interconnection reporting that 63% of the increase in per-megawatt energy costs is due to data centers. This demand is leading to the construction of large natural gas plants, such as one planned for Piketon County. An example cited was Amazon's construction of data centers in Hilliard, which led to a natural gas plant being implemented with little community input, causing noise and air quality concerns for nearby residents.
Water usage is another major issue, with hyperscale data centers potentially consuming up to 5 million gallons daily, primarily through open-loop cooling systems. Transparency is lacking, as only one in three data centers track water use, and most refuse to make this data public. Farmers are worried about water scarcity, and the OEC has opposed an EPA draft that would have allowed data centers to discharge water without PFAS regulation. Additionally, sales tax exemptions for data centers have resulted in a $1.56 billion loss of state revenue by late 2025, prompting Gov. Mike DeWine to pause tax breaks for new proposals. Nondisclosure agreements have also prevented local officials from informing communities about developments.
Ohio currently has significant policy gaps, lacking statewide requirements for water reporting, NDA protections, and decommissioning. House Bill 646 is being developed to address these issues by requiring data centers to pay directly for electricity, publicly report water usage, and reduce tax exemptions. Roca urged Bexley residents and state leaders to support this legislation and other actions to regulate data center growth.