General Assembly Announces New Committee on Data Centers

Data centers have been part of Ohio's landscape for years.

Most people didn't give them a second thought until these digital data libraries that are a way of life in today's high tech global economy began being politicized by the left.

Yes, the left. As we have reported the anti-data center effort may have some worried local citizens, but those people aren't in charge of the campaign to kill data centers. The money backing the effort comes from some of the same coastal liberal organizations that are anti-oil and gas and not surprisingly helped fund the failed effort to gerrymander Ohio in 2024.

Wednesday Senator Brian Chavez, R-Marietta, and Representative Adam Holmes, R-Nashport, explained the mission of the Joint Data Center Committee which they will both co-chair.

Watch the entire news conference from the Harding Press Room at the Ohio Statehouse.

Energy costs and the old NIMBY "Not In My Backyard" are getting the headlines, but as Representative Thad Claggett, R-Newark, said during the news conference AI is really driving this issue at exponential speed.

"The issue is fundamentally about AI at the end of the day," said Representative Claggett. "The Chairman is correct that energy is the driver, however the thing that is changing our society is the development of Artificial Intelligence and the quantum things that are on the forseeable future."

Data centers represent more than an economic development opportunity for brownfield redevelopments. They are an issue of national security. Former Congressman Bill Johnson who is now the President of Youngstown State University, Congressman Michael Rulli, Senator Terry Johnson, and Senator Jerry Cirino all highlighted the tremendous importance of having data centers here at home that make the most of Ohio's new energy law.

Senator Cirino recently told On The Record that, "We should not be stopping data centers from coming to Ohio, that would be a sad day in Ohio's economic development history."

Ohio's new law allows projects to generate their own power which is called "behind the meter" generation. This keeps these projects energy independent but also pushes power back into the consumer grid which is a benefit following the closing of coal burning power plants during the Obama Administration.

This committee will open the door to data centers by explaining why they're important, how they work, and what the best policy moving forward should be for economic development, consumers, and constituents.

This week on a special edition of The President's Podcast we bring you insightful perspective from people who have a unique understanding about why these digital libraries are critical to our national security and energy independence.

Committee hearings begin May 27th and will be streamed on the Ohio Channel.