Cleveland Trades Council urges data center regulations, not ban
The Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council is advocating for sensible regulations on data centers in Northeast Ohio, rather than outright bans. This comes as Cleveland considers a local moratorium and a statewide ban is pending. The council emphasizes the economic benefits of data center construction jobs and the need to modernize the electrical grid to support industrial demand.
The Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, representing 12,000 construction workers, has urged Cleveland and Ohio state leaders to adopt sensible regulations for data centers instead of imposing bans. This advocacy comes as the City of Cleveland considers a moratorium on new data centers to update its zoning code, and a statewide ban on larger data centers is pending.
The council argues that while data centers don't create many long-term operational jobs, they provide significant short-term construction employment and bring economic benefits to local communities, including increased tax bases without a proportional increase in public services. They highlight that Northeast Ohio needs to catch up to Greater Columbus, which is a top-10 data center hub with over 100 facilities, compared to Cleveland's two dozen.
Addressing concerns, the council acknowledged electricity use and grid demands remain an issue, noting a Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) decision requiring data center owners to pay 85 percent of their electricity usage over the next 12 years. They also mentioned noise pollution from data centers as a concern. The council criticized opposition as a "politicized misinformation campaign" and stressed that data centers are critical for the region's economic competitiveness across various sectors. They advocate for local leaders to negotiate community benefits and safeguards through thoughtful approval processes.