Who Reviews What? Ohio Data Center Approvals

A large data-center project can move through several separate review systems rather than one consolidated approval process.

Local governments may control zoning, land-use approvals, site-plan review and building approvals, depending on the jurisdiction. Ohio EPA administers environmental programs such as air permitting and NPDES wastewater or stormwater permitting when a project's activities trigger those requirements. Ohio's Department of Natural Resources administers separate water-quantity requirements: facilities capable of withdrawing more than 100,000 gallons per day generally must register, and certain new or increased consumptive uses above statutory thresholds require permits.

If serving the project requires a new major generation facility or qualifying high-voltage transmission infrastructure, the Ohio Power Siting Board may have a separate certificate proceeding. Electric utilities and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio address utility service, tariffs, infrastructure investment, and cost recovery, while PJM performs regional forecasting and transmission planning. These utility/grid processes are not the same thing as local land-use or environmental permits.

Separately, a qualifying data center seeking Ohio's sales-and-use-tax exemption applies through the Ohio Tax Credit Authority under ORC §122.175. Federal reviews can also apply depending on the project – for example, wetlands or other federal jurisdictional issues.

The key point is structural: because oversight is distributed among different decision-makers, a project can satisfy one approval while other reviews are still pending. Understanding who reviews what makes it easier to identify which questions have been answered, which remain open and where the public can participate.