Ohio Targets Data Centers with New Rules

Ohio lawmakers are cracking down on the data center boom with a sweeping new bill designed to make these energy-hungry giants pay their fair share. The legislation introduces a dedicated electric rate to cover generation, transmission, and distribution costs—protecting regular customers from inflated bills. Utilities must now submit detailed plans for data centers to the Public Utilities Commission for review, and centers will need to post surety bonds with the tax commissioner for added accountability. A major shift: sales tax breaks for new projects are slashed from 100% to 50% (or 75% if built on reclaimed land with self-powering capabilities), though existing mega-deals with Meta, Google, and Amazon remain untouched. The state handed out nearly $1.6 billion in tax breaks last year—far beyond projections. Environmental safeguards also kick in, mandating water-efficient systems and reporting requirements, signaling the start of a regulatory tightening expected as the industry grows. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/54552578fbeeffaa