Local
Local leaders, construction industry defend data centers before Ohio lawmakers
Sen. Brian Chavez says legislation could clear an Ohio Senate committee within days, even as witnesses split on NDAs, sales tax breaks, and transparency rules.
Data Centers
Local
Gov. Mike DeWine’s data center advice for Ohio cities and towns: Go make a deal
The governor said the state can’t close its borders to data centers, but that local governments should ‘be aggressive’ in cutting deals with developers.
Local
Ohio has committed at least $2.3 billion in sales tax breaks for data centers
Google, Meta and Amazon each get sales tax exemptions worth $600 million apiece over 40 years, according to new data obtained by Signal Statewide. The long-term total could be “significantly higher,” officials say.
Local
Big tech defends data centers before Ohio lawmakers
Tech giants faced skeptical lawmakers and fierce public opposition over nondisclosure deals, tax breaks, and power grid impacts.
Local
Ramaswamy's tax plan rewards the wealthy and corporations while shifting the bill to working Ohioans
Ramaswamy's own financial disclosure shows $768,968 in capital gains in 2025—the exact income his proposal would exempt from state taxes.
Local
Ohio Republican named to lead data center hearings had undisclosed stakes in energy companies
Chavez co-chairs the panel despite an unresolved ethics complaint alleging he hid energy sector stakes while advancing related legislation as Senate Energy Committee chair.
Commentary
Ohio officials ignore scientific facts to allow our public air, land, and water to be abused
Ohio officials reject 120 years of climate science to approve fracking on public lands, ban renewables, and subsidize carbon capture—putting communities at risk.
Commentary
What’s the matter with data centers?
Ohio's data center tax breaks have cost $1.6 billion more than projected, prompting lawmakers to introduce legislation phasing out the subsidy.
Local
Data center opponents give Ohio lawmakers an earful
Residents demanded a data center moratorium, citing water contamination risks, secrecy through NDAs, and inadequate state oversight during the committee's only public hearing.
Local
Just before moratorium, two last Ohio data centers get a $42 million tax break
DeWine exempted the Cologix project from his moratorium announced days earlier, after the tax break's cost ballooned to $1.57 billion in 2025.
Local
As political pressure mounts, Ohio’s data centers buy $10,000 in ads and lobby up
Google, Meta, and Amazon have deployed 51 lobbyists and spent $10,000 on ads as Gov. DeWine pauses tax breaks after discovering the exemption cost the state $1.6 billion in 2025.
National News
More cities are pressing pause on data centers as local backlash grows
Seven in 10 Americans oppose nearby data center construction, while dozens of cities enact moratoriums citing electricity costs and environmental concerns.