Data centers in Ohio: Acton, Ramaswamy lay out how policies for new projects in the state
Ohio's gubernatorial candidates, Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy, have presented their data center policies, with Acton supporting a conditional moratorium and Ramaswamy proposing an "Ohioans-First" plan for community benefits. These discussions come amidst legislative efforts to regulate the industry and Governor DeWine's pause on data center tax exemptions.
Ohio's gubernatorial candidates, Amy Acton (Democrat) and Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican), have outlined their policies regarding the state's expanding data center industry. Acton announced in late July her support for a conditional moratorium on data centers, stipulating that projects must cover 100% of utility costs, use union labor, operate transparently, adhere to environmental standards, support local communities, and create jobs in former industrial areas. She emphasized the need to protect Ohio families and businesses from rising costs driven by data centers.
Ramaswamy, in early August, unveiled a three-pronged "Ohioans-First" policy, asserting it goes further than Acton's plan. His policy pledges that if a data center is built, local residents will no longer pay for home electricity, property taxes will be lowered, and data centers must strictly abide by air and water quality standards, while also protecting fertile farmland. Ramaswamy stated that if any of these conditions are not met, the data center would not be built, and he intends to codify these commitments into law if elected.
These candidate proposals follow recent actions by the state government. Last month, Ohio lawmakers rapidly advanced Substitute House Bill 646, a comprehensive set of regulations for the data center industry, which was voted to advance by the Senate Energy Committee and informally passed by the Senate. Additionally, Governor Mike DeWine in May ordered a pause on all new tax exemptions for data centers after learning that state and local tax exemptions were projected to exceed $2 billion in 2025. This move came after a previous attempt by lawmakers to halt these exemptions was vetoed by the Governor.