What Should Ohio Be Asking About Data Centers?

This visual is a decision framework rather than a prediction about whether a particular data-center project is good or bad.

The questions reflect the major issues raised throughout the OCG Data Centers & AI collection: how much electricity a project will require and who will pay for necessary generation or transmission; how much water will be withdrawn, consumed and returned; what public incentives are granted and what measurable jobs, payroll and tax benefits result; what environmental and local-infrastructure impacts will occur; how communities will participate in decisions; and what information will remain public so commitments can be evaluated over time.

These are not hypothetical categories. PJM is incorporating large data-center loads into regional electricity forecasts. DOE guidance documents the cooling and water-management demands of data centers. Ohio law authorizes significant sales- and use-tax exemptions for eligible data-center equipment while imposing investment, payroll and reporting requirements.

OCG's purpose is not to dictate the answer to every project. It is to make the questions, evidence, and trade-offs visible before long-lived decisions are made.