Ohio’s Data Center Boom Fuels Growth, Sparks Debate over Power Costs and Who Pays

Ohio lawmakers move to make DeWine's data center tax break halt permanent

This article first appeared hereOhio legislators want to make Governor Mike DeWine’s pause on new data center tax exemptions permanent.

New Research Shows Ohio Data Center Tax Incentive Harms

Adams County, OH — New research from the environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch examines tax incentives for a major data center project in Adams County, Ohio. State officials and data center advocates have argued that tax incentives are necessary to lure developers to states and reap the economic benefits of data center development across the country, but the case in Adams County exemplifies potential negative economic impact to local c…

Inside the new battleground in the clash over data centers: Tax breaks

The political backlash over data centers is making its way to state and municipal tax policy. Last week, Ohio suspended its tax breaks for data center development, and lawmakers in other states are considering proposals to follow suit. Illinois’ tax breaks for data centers started in 2019, and a report in 2024 found that over its lifetime, the policy had granted $983 million in tax benefits for 27 data center projects. “This is one of the most h…

As political pressure mounts, Ohio’s data centers buy $10,000 in ads and lobby up

This story was originally published by Signal Ohio. Sign up for their free newsletters at SignalOhio.org/subscribe. As data centers face increasing political and public scrutiny, the industry in Ohio has built up a lobbying and PR apparatus to punch back.  At the statehouse, the Data Center Coalition, a trade association, and its individual members have hired a fleet at least 51 lobbyists, according to a review of state lobbying disclosures. The…

Ohio suspends data center tax breaks after losing $1.5 billion in revenue – but ongoing projects will still get the benefits

Ohio State Governor puts a pause on data center tax exemptions as lawmakers review the losses, which were higher than projected.

Ohio’s data center boom fuels growth, sparks debate over power costs and who pays

Ohio's booming data center industry faces scrutiny as state leaders and residents debate who should bear rising utility costs.