Ohio eyes data center impact
February 24, 2026
New legislation in Ohio could create a nonpartisan council to examine the growing footprint of data centers. If the bill is passed, the subsequent council would review data centers’ environmental impact, electricity and water use, light and noise pollution and local economic effects.
Data centers are large facilities that store computing equipment and power much of today’s digital infrastructure. As artificial intelligence becomes more prominent, the role of data centers is expanding and so are the resources they consume. The facilities require significant amounts of electricity and water, often driving up local utility costs and raising concerns about pollution.