Ohio poll respondents say data centers bad for energy costs, environment
More than 70 percent of respondents to a recent Bowling Green State University poll favored temporarily banning new data centers in Ohio.
The blowback against data centers in Ohio could hurt U.S. Sen. Jon Husted in November and make politicians wary of supporting them, the Senate GOP campaign arm warned.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a memo to AI companies Aug. 18 that paints Ohio as a potential cautionary tale, according to the document obtained and first reported by Axios. The move came as Husted has faced attack ads from former Sen. Sherrod Brown that call him the “face of data centers.”
Husted and Brown are locked in a tight race for the seat formerly held by Vice President JD Vance that could help determine which party controls the Senate. Data centers have become Husted’s biggest problem right now, the NRSC argued.
“More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck,” stated the memo, shared in full by Axios. “If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice − and they will not go near the next one.”
The memo urges tech companies to “fix” the perception of data centers in Ohio and show how they can benefit communities. A spokesperson for the NRSC did not respond to a request for comment.
“Jon Husted led the charge to bring hundreds of data centers to Ohio and blamed families for skyrocketing utility rates that he caused,” said Brown’s campaign manager, Patrick Eisenhauer. “Now, Husted is so worried about his toxic record that he is begging his special interest buddies and corporate friends to come and bail out his failing campaign.”
Ohio is home to more than 200 existing or in-development data centers, according to Data Center Map, which tracks projects around the globe. While proponents say these facilities are a good investment, critics worry they’ll sap resources and harm the environment.
To temper the opposition, American Electric Power announced that Meta, Amazon and other companies will give more than $18 million to help Ohioans afford electric bills that have surged due to data center demand.
As lieutenant governor, Husted championed data center projects and called Ohio the “tech capital of the Midwest.” Now, he contends data centers should be a local decision and introduced federal legislation that aims to ensure companies pay for their electricity.
Brown, for his part, once applauded an Amazon data center outside Columbus and pledged to “ensure that our region’s burgeoning logistics hub continues to grow.” Democrats have historically supported data center projects because they generate union construction jobs.
“Sherrod Brown had three decades in Congress to lead on this issue,” said Amy Natoce, a spokesperson for Husted’s campaign. “Instead, he did nothing and is suddenly pretending to care in the middle of an election year.”
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.