Ohio faces a dilemma between building data centers that present major challenges on one hand and rejecting new projects and development dollars on the other. There’s a better option: requiring data centers to adopt smart standards, producing their own power, and giving back to communities and the environment.
The stakes are high. Pending projects could add around 30,000 megawatts of new electric load — enough to power millions of homes. A data center that needs 100 megawatts of power to operatecan also use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day. If we do not plan wisely, we will strain the grid, raise energy prices, and stress local water supplies.