Data centers in Ohio: Acton, Ramaswamy lay out how policies for new projects in the state
Acton wants a conditional moratorium unless developers cover utility costs and meet labor and environmental standards, while Ramaswamy seeks to end abatements and halt approvals.
- On Thursday, August 6, 2026, Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy proposed requiring data centers to fund residential electricity and property taxes, while Democratic nominee Amy Acton outlined a conditional moratorium on new projects.
- Growing public debate over energy demand and tax incentives prompted the candidates' proposals after Governor Mike DeWine paused new exemptions in May, when state and local tax breaks exceeded $2 billion in 2025.
- Ramaswamy pledged to require developers to cover residential utility costs within a "benefit zone" and eliminate property tax abatements, arguing "most of Ohio's counties would fit entirely within a benefit zone."
- Acton's conditional moratorium demands developers cover utility costs, use 100% union labor, and build on brownfields, with Acton stating, "Ohio is open for business, but we are not up for sale."
- Public opposition persists as 7 in 10 Americans oppose local AI data center construction per recent Gallup data, while grassroots groups seek a constitutional amendment to ban such facilities statewide.
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16 Articles
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Athens County is just the latest community in Southeast Ohio to be shaken up by data center proposals. Some public officials and residents hope the centers will bring long-awaited economic development — or at least substantial tax revenue. However, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that data centers can have positive economic impact — but mostly in metropolitan areas. Rural counties see “negligible gains,” they wrote. So…
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