Ohio's Data Center Duel | Columbus News

Columbus News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 17, 2026 · 1m

Ohio’s gubernatorial race is boiling over as candidates clash on data centers: Democrat Dr. Amy Acton wants a conditional pause on new builds, demanding union labor, environmental safeguards, and community benefits, while Republican Vivek Ramaswamy proposes a bold three-part deal—free home electricity, lower property taxes, and strict environmental compliance—or no project at all. Critics slam his plan as unrealistic and question his ties to the industry, while a grassroots ballot initiative seeks to ban new data centers entirely. With Ohio already sixth in the nation for data center density…