Study: Data centers’ power growth likely in handful of states
A new Ohio State University study projects that data center growth driven by artificial intelligence will sharply increase electricity demand, concentrated in states such as Ohio, Virginia and Texas. The findings have prompted debate in Ohio over who should pay for added power infrastructure, with the Buckeye Institute opposing construction moratoriums and Conserve Ohio calling for limits on large data centers.
A study by Ohio State University projects that global data center electricity consumption could more than double by 2030 as artificial intelligence and large-scale data analytics expand. The research identifies Ohio, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Oregon and Iowa among the key hubs, with a small number of states and companies expected to account for most of the additional demand.
The report warns that households, farms and businesses could face higher electric rates if data center operators do not cover the infrastructure costs associated with their power use. Buckeye Institute analyst Aswin Prabhakar said Ohio should reject construction moratoriums and instead require developers to pay project-related costs and taxes. Conserve Ohio leader Andrew Gula criticized the environmental and social effects of rapid data center construction, including land consumption, fossil-fuel use and the displacement of workers by artificial intelligence.