data center

Amid the data center boom, local governments across Ohio are temporarily banning the facilities.

Half a dozen Democrats in the Ohio Senate say they are getting ready to introduce extensive legislation targeting data centers.

A new report from Reimagine Appalachia finds that waste heat produced by AI data centers could be reused in surrounding cities and industries.

Meta is trying to jumpstart Ohio's nuclear energy sector, while Microsoft is committing to paying for its own electric and water usage. Both come as electric and water utility rates rise in Columbus, one of the largest data center hubs.

As of 2024, 525 data centers were located in eight states around the Great Lakes region. That's a fifth of the nation's data centers and hundreds more are planned.

Meta has cut a trio of deals to power its artificial intelligence data centers, securing enough energy to light up the equivalent of about 5 million homes.

The unanimous move to table the plan for Amazon's data center came after city staff pointed out missing impact studies and remaining utility questions.

If rate increases are approved, an average customer can expect to pay an extra $36 a month by 2027 if they use American Electric Power of Ohio, Columbia Gas of Ohio and Columbus Water.

The Ohio EPA has extended the online public comment deadline to Jan. 16, 2026.

Some environmental advocates say they're concerned the change will fast-track wastewater permits for data centers while leaving out reviews that ensure public health and safety.