Commentary
The hidden costs of building a data center
Ohio's 15-year sales tax exemption cost the state $1.6 billion last year alone, and the $600 million Upper Sandusky proposal could qualify for the full waiver.
Data Centers
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Ramaswamy wants data centers all over Ohio — and he's invested in nearly every tier of the industry he'd regulate
Innovation Ohio's May 2026 report found his holdings span chip makers to AI firms, and as governor he'd appoint every board that funds, sites, and taxes the industry.
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Trump crypto founders bankrolled Ramaswamy as he pushes to invest Ohio public funds in Bitcoin
The $116,000 cluster arrived on primary day from founders of a venture under Senate scrutiny, while Ramaswamy holds Bitcoin and backs a bill to invest state pension funds in crypto.
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Spending among Ohio consumers slows as gas threatens to go even higher
Exxon and Chevron warn oil could hit $150–$160 a barrel as diesel stocks hit a 40-year low, while U-M sentiment data shows consumers already cutting spending.
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Ohio Republicans back off effort to kill a beefy tax credit for data centers
Lawmakers around 10 p.m. Wednesday nixed a vote on a data center package, aborting efforts to eliminate or lower a tax break that saved Big Tech $2 billion last year.
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Ohio lawmakers introduce sweeping new data center legislation
The bill cuts a $1.6 billion tax break in half and targets NDAs, but Sen. DeMora warns the rapid one-day timeline to a Senate floor vote will produce bad law.
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Local leaders, construction industry defend data centers before Ohio lawmakers
Sen. Brian Chavez says legislation could clear an Ohio Senate committee within days, even as witnesses split on NDAs, sales tax breaks, and transparency rules.
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Gov. Mike DeWine’s data center advice for Ohio cities and towns: Go make a deal
The governor said the state can’t close its borders to data centers, but that local governments should ‘be aggressive’ in cutting deals with developers.
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Ohio has committed at least $2.3 billion in sales tax breaks for data centers
Google, Meta and Amazon each get sales tax exemptions worth $600 million apiece over 40 years, according to new data obtained by Signal Statewide. The long-term total could be “significantly higher,” officials say.
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Big tech defends data centers before Ohio lawmakers
Tech giants faced skeptical lawmakers and fierce public opposition over nondisclosure deals, tax breaks, and power grid impacts.
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Ramaswamy's tax plan rewards the wealthy and corporations while shifting the bill to working Ohioans
Ramaswamy's own financial disclosure shows $768,968 in capital gains in 2025—the exact income his proposal would exempt from state taxes.
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Ohio Republican named to lead data center hearings had undisclosed stakes in energy companies
Chavez co-chairs the panel despite an unresolved ethics complaint alleging he hid energy sector stakes while advancing related legislation as Senate Energy Committee chair.
