Data-center concerns bring ratepayer rally to Ironton
Residents in Ironton, Ohio, rallied to protest the rapid expansion of data centers, citing concerns about rising electricity rates and strain on the power grid. A proposed Google data center in Scioto County and its associated AEP substation are central to these worries, with local officials expressing unease. The debate also involves the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill aimed at making large power users pay for their energy needs, which critics argue is insufficient.
Residents of Ironton, Ohio, and Democratic leaders gathered for a rally on Tuesday, voicing strong concerns over the accelerating data center boom in the state. They specifically highlighted the potential for increased electricity demand from these facilities to drive up utility bills for everyday consumers and strain the existing power grid. Anne Artis, an Ironton resident, expressed a lack of transparency regarding the exact impact on their quality of life, pointing to other communities with data centers as a warning.
The protest focused on a proposed billion-dollar Google data center in Scioto County, which would be supported by a new AEP substation. Ironton City Council member Jacob Hock stated he feels a "pit in his stomach" about the development. Critics at the rally also targeted U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who, as former Ohio lieutenant governor, had actively promoted the state as a destination for data center investment.
Husted now supports the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill that would encourage state regulators, such as the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), to consider rules requiring large power users to cover their energy and infrastructure costs. However, Bob McCollister, another Ironton resident, dismissed the Act as a "band-aid, toothless bill" that merely offers suggestions without enforceable requirements, predicting it would fail to protect ratepayers from rising costs and environmental impacts.