Tech giant reps testify before Ohio data center committee
Representatives from major tech companies testified before the Ohio Joint Data Center Committee regarding community relations and data center developments. Lawmakers questioned the companies on public trust and the use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with local officials, with some expressing strong constituent opposition to proposed data centers. Discussions are underway for potential state-level data center legislation.
Representatives from major tech companies, including Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, testified before Ohio state lawmakers on the Joint Data Center Committee. The hearing focused on the strained relationships between these companies and the communities hosting their large-scale data centers.
Representative Heidi Workman criticized the companies for failing to adequately engage with the public, noting that a majority of her constituents oppose a data center proposed for her district and distrust company statements. Daniel Brown from Microsoft announced his company would no longer require nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) from local government officials, aiming to increase transparency and public trust. However, other companies, including Google spokesperson Les Schwab, did not make similar commitments, noting that NDAs are common economic development tools.
Representative Chris Glassberg, who has previously criticized data center NDAs, reiterated his opinion that local officials should not vote on developments shielded from public scrutiny. Speaker of the House Matt Huffman indicated a desire for some form of data center legislation to be passed in the near future, though the specifics of such a policy remain unclear.