Data center developers donate millions to Ohio utility assistance program as national backlash grows

Data center developers donate millions to Ohio utility assistance program as national backlash grows

The AEP headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. The utility’s disconnection rate was more than twice that of other Ohio utilities over the past year. (Credit: Creative Commons.)Five of Ohio’s biggest data center companies have announced major donations to a program helping people cover their utility bills. Meta’s contribution alone — $10 million over the next five years — amounts to a tenfold increase in the Neighbor to Neighbor program’s funding. The p…