Politicians avoid calling for data center bans despite public opposition
Growing public opposition to data centers is influencing Ohio politics, driven by concerns over energy costs and environmental impacts. Despite widespread voter anger and local efforts to ban data centers, politicians are largely hesitant to support outright construction bans. Ohio's Governor has paused tax breaks for data centers, reflecting a shift in political response.
Voter opposition to data centers is increasingly shaping politics in Ohio, a key midterm battleground state, due to concerns about rising energy costs, environmental impacts, and quality of life. Hilliard, Ohio, residents Annette Singh and Annie Cannelongo are leading a "longshot ballot initiative" to ban data centers statewide after an Amazon Web Services facility broke ground near their community.
Despite a recent Gallup survey indicating over 70% of Americans oppose local data center construction, most politicians are not endorsing outright construction bans. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, recently paused new tax breaks for data centers after a report estimated over $1 billion in lost state revenue. Both Republican and Democratic candidates in Ohio and other states are now advocating for AI companies to offset their electricity usage to manage soaring power bills.
While progressive leaders like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have pushed for temporary federal bans, and Monterey Park, California, enacted a permanent ban, many candidates in competitive races remain cautious. They are often caught between strong industry lobbying and union support for construction jobs versus escalating grassroots anger. The Ohio Republican Party chair, Alex Triantafilou, noted an increase in community-level opposition on the right, while the Ohio Democratic Party's rural caucus chair, Chris Gibbs, cautioned against simply being the "party of no."
Amazon, through a spokesman, stated its commitment to local benefits, having invested $70 billion in Ohio since 2016. However, activists like Singh and Cannelongo remain frustrated by the slow political response to their concerns, particularly regarding the perceived negative impact on their peaceful suburban communities.