Vivek Ramaswamy promises free power near Ohio data centers
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy proposed a policy to link data center development to direct benefits for nearby residents, including free household electricity and lower property taxes. The plan also includes stricter environmental regulations and a halt on new data center approvals until legislation is passed. Ramaswamy aims to ensure local communities benefit from the state's growing data center industry.
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has unveiled a comprehensive policy proposal aimed at linking future data center development to direct financial and environmental benefits for local communities. The plan includes providing free household electricity, lower property taxes for nearby residents, and mandating stricter environmental protections for new data centers built in Ohio.
Under Ramaswamy's proposal, if elected in 2027, he would issue an executive order on his first day in office to halt approvals of all new data center projects until legislation implementing this new framework is enacted. The policy suggests new data centers would utilize dedicated natural gas or nuclear power plants, with surplus electricity either credited to residential bills or directly reimbursed to homeowners within a designated "benefit zone." He estimates a 1,000-megawatt plant could eliminate electric bills for tens of thousands of households.
The plan also calls for ending future property tax abatements for data centers, requiring companies to pay full property taxes, which would then fund rebates for homeowners and support public services. Environmentally, data centers would need to fully comply with air and water quality standards, recycle water using advanced technology, and prioritize construction on industrial brownfield sites over farmland.
Ramaswamy highlighted that concerns over electricity costs, tax abatements, noise, and pollution are key issues for Ohio voters. His proposal aims to differentiate from his Democratic opponent's stance on electricity costs by seeking to eliminate them entirely for residents near qualifying facilities, addressing the ongoing debate over energy demand, tax incentives, and environmental impacts of data center expansion in Ohio.