COLUMBUS — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton is calling on Ohio lawmakers to pass a conditional moratorium on data centers when they return to Columbus for a special session next week.
“Ohioans have been clear; we need to lower costs, which is why I am calling on our Statehouse to pass a conditional moratorium on data centers when they return to session next week,” Acton said.
The call adds a new front to the debate over the massive server farms spreading across Ohio, which critics say drive up electricity costs and strain local water supplies while delivering few permanent jobs. Several communities, including parts of Athens County and Chillicothe, have already imposed local moratoriums on data center projects.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Acton’s opponent in the November election, says he has plans to address data centers if elected, though he has not backed a moratorium.
Lawmakers are expected to return to the Statehouse next week primarily to consider a 90-day suspension of the state’s gas tax amid surging fuel prices. Acton’s proposal would add data center policy to an already packed special session agenda.
The data center debate has become one of the defining issues of the governor’s race, pitting promises of tech investment and tax revenue against mounting public concern over energy bills.
