Ramaswamy outlines data center priorities during Allen County Fair visit
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican candidate for Ohio governor, outlined his priorities regarding data center development during a visit to the Allen County Fair. He advocates for legislation that ensures lower electricity prices and clean water for communities, transparency by eliminating NDAs, and building data centers on abandoned industrial sites rather than farmland. He also emphasized increasing Ohio's power grid capacity through natural gas and nuclear energy.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, addressed supporters at the Allen County Republican building during his visit to the Allen County Fair. Among the key issues he discussed, Ramaswamy detailed his stance on data center development, which he identified as a top concern in the current election cycle. Ohio currently hosts over 200 data centers, with more under construction.
Ramaswamy stated that if elected, he would pursue "common-sense legislation" for future data center projects in the state. His priorities include ensuring that communities benefit from lower or even free electricity prices, that water used by data centers is returned to the environment as clean as it was drawn, and that process transparency is improved by eliminating non-disclosure agreements. He also advocated for building data centers on abandoned industrial sites instead of fertile farmland. Regarding electricity, Ramaswamy emphasized the need for Ohio to generate more power than it consumes, leveraging natural gas and welcoming next-generation nuclear energy, while requiring data centers to contribute to lower electric bills. Ramaswamy is set to face Democrat Amy Acton and Libertarian Don Kettering in the November 3rd general election.