Vivek Ramaswamy on Data Centers
Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for governor of Ohio, heavily criticized the data center industry for failing to earn public trust. He committed to signing an executive order on day one of his term to halt new data center project announcements in Ohio until specific legislation is passed. This legislation includes mandates for lower electric bills, property tax rebates, clean water discharge, and using abandoned industrial sites over farmland.
Vivek Ramaswamy, campaigning for governor of Ohio, outlined a stringent platform regarding data center development, giving the industry an "F" for its failure to earn public trust. He pledged that on his first day in office, he would sign an executive order to halt all new data center project announcements in Ohio until specific legislation is enacted.
The proposed legislation, developed after hearing from Ohioans, includes four core commitments: ensuring lower electric bills for all residents, with free electricity for those in the immediate vicinity of a data center; implementing lower property taxes for residents in affected counties or communities by eliminating property tax abatements for developers and instead providing direct rebates to residential owners; requiring that water used by data centers is returned at least as clean, or cleaner, than when it was taken, addressing both air and water quality; and mandating the use of abandoned industrial sites for data center construction, rather than fertile farmland. Additionally, he suggested "vegetative insulation" (trees) around facilities to mitigate sound and visual impact, especially in areas like Geauga County, which he described as a beautiful part of the state. Ramaswamy emphasized that these are his "bare minimum commitments" and that any project not meeting these standards "is not going to get built," asserting that Ohio is not a "dumping ground."