Ohio should mandate data centers generate own power
An opinion piece in the Cincinnati Enquirer argues that Ohio should mandate data centers to generate their own power and cover all associated infrastructure costs, rather than burdening existing utility customers. The author highlights the PORTS-Pike project in Pike County as a model, where OpenAI is committed to a data center campus with its own 10 gigawatts of power generation. This model is advocated for future hyperscale projects, specifically mentioning a proposed Amazon Web Services campus in Trenton, Butler County.
Dennis Doyle, a member of the Cincinnati Enquirer Board of Contributors, argues in an opinion piece that Ohio should mandate data centers generate their own electricity and fully cover the costs of new transmission infrastructure. Doyle asserts that current data center demand may be adding $10-$20 monthly to Ohio household electric bills, with neither utilities nor regulators providing clear explanations for these increases, as data centers often tap into an already strained regional grid operated by PJM Interconnection without adding new power supply. This reliance on the existing grid necessitates costly new transmission lines and substations, which are ultimately financed by families and businesses if not directly assigned to data center developers.
Doyle highlights a contrasting model with the proposed PORTS-Pike AI data center campus in Pike County, where OpenAI is slated to be the primary customer. This project plans to generate approximately 10 gigawatts of new power to support its eight gigawatts of computing demand, thereby adding supply to the grid rather than solely increasing demand. Furthermore, PORTS-Pike is expected to cover the full $4.2 billion cost of its new high-voltage transmission lines and four substations, as reported by the Department of Energy and involved companies.
The author advocates for this "bring your own power, pay for your own connection" principle to be applied statewide. Specifically, he calls for the Ohio General Assembly and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to make this model mandatory for all future hyperscale data centers. Doyle cites a proposed Amazon Web Services campus in Trenton, Butler County, which is pursuing annexation for an additional 600 acres, as an example where this principle should immediately be enforced to prevent further strain on Duke Energy Ohio's service territory and avoid passing costs to customers.