Data Centers & AI: Start Here
A curated sequence of visuals that introduces the key power, water, economic and policy questions surrounding Ohio data centers.
This learning path is designed to give visitors a concise foundation for understanding the major questions surrounding data centers in Ohio.
Explore This Learning Path
Move through these visuals in sequence to build your understanding of the issue.
How to Use This Learning Path
Move through the visuals in order for the clearest introduction, or open any step that interests you. Each visual includes its explanation, sources and related context.
What Is a Data Center?
Start with the basics: what a data center physically is, what happens inside it, and how it supports both AI and many other digital services.
Who's Using All This Computing Power?
See the range of digital services data centers support – and why artificial intelligence is an increasingly important, but not exclusive, source of computing demand.
Understanding Power Units: MW, GW & TW
Learn the basic power units used in data-center discussions and how megawatts, gigawatts and terawatts scale from one to the next.
1 GW Sounds Like Just a Number
Translate a one-gigawatt power demand into annual electricity use and compare that scale with all electricity sold to Ohio customers.
What Powers Ohio's Grid — and What's Coming
Connect data-center power demand to Ohio's existing generation mix and see how multi-gigawatt large-load forecasts are changing the state's electricity-planning challenge.
Water Words Matter
Learn why withdrawal, consumption and returned water are different measures when discussing data-center water use.
"Closed Loop" Doesn't Answer the Question
Learn why a closed internal coolant loop does not by itself tell you how much water a data center uses—the external heat-rejection system matters.
What Should Ohio Be Asking About Data Centers?
Finish with the major power, water, economic, environmental, community and transparency questions Ohio should ask before long-lived data-center decisions are made.
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