OHIO — Ohio is home to over 200 data centers, the fifth highest state in the country. Some of these data centers are taking advantage of existing infrastructure, filling sites left behind when heavy manufacturing either moved out or closed down.
Austin Keyser is the vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, or IBEW. He said Ohio is uniquely qualified to become the data center capital of the Midwest.
“It’s a huge opportunity to redevelop our communities and create jobs in our communities. In this region in particularly we’ve had an excess of electricity for many years. We lost a lot of our heavy industries in the state like steel mills, rubber plants and things like that,” said Keyser
For example, what could become the largest data center in the world is being built in southern Ohio in what was once the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Jade Davis, president and CEO of BRITE Energy Innovators, said the need for more and larger centers has been growing as AI grows.
“If you look at what search engines were say maybe 30 years ago vs what they are now, a lot of that has been improved by use of AI and its development. What we are seeing right now is the infrastructure for larger AI systems,” said Davis
According to an Ohio Chamber Foundation Data Center Study, in 2024, data centers generated over 95,000 jobs and about $26.4 billion in economic output.
“They’re also bringing a ton of community benefits, creating 35,000 construction jobs and tens of thousands of permanent jobs once it’s built. Totally reshaping and revitalizing a whole region of the United States, particularly in southern Ohio in Appalachia where wages are low and jobs lost have been heavy and exceed the national averages,” said Keyser
But Keyser admits there’s also a downside.
“It drives energy usage through the roof. Data centers are sort of hyper load users. They use a lot of electricity. There’s no hiding that,” said Keyser
Keyser said people who live near future data center sites need to pay close attention to public policy and advocate for their needs.
“You want to tell them upfront; we want jobs, invest in our schools, new firehouses, new training programs, more electricians, more pipe fitters, we want you to invest in all those things. We want you to lower electricity cost, using closed loop and most advanced environmental standards in your plant, or we don’t want you to build here,” said Keyser
Whether it’s filling a former industrial site or being built from the ground up, Keyser said that this type of community benefit agreement is what you’re seeking when a data center comes to your community.
