Ohio’s Data Center Debate

Central Ohio is a magnet for data center development, with global tech companies drawn to the region’s strategic location, energy capacity, and growing tech workforce. No one disputes that data centers are critical engines for economic development – big AI needs big data centers. But as the footprint of these massive facilities expands, local communities are grappling with complex questions about land use, infrastructure strain, tax incentives, environmental impact, and energy demand.

At this forum, we’ll welcome experts to help us unpack the broader implications of large-scale data center growth in Central Ohio. What are the true economic benefits? How should energy capacity and environmental concerns be weighed? And who ultimately has the authority when local and state priorities collide? At stake is not just one project, but a model for how Ohio manages innovation, growth, and community impact in the AI era.

Join us for a conversation that brings these questions into focus and helps shape how Central Ohio can navigate data center growth, innovation, and community impact in the years ahead.

Featuring Dr. Jeffrey Bielicki, Associate Professor; Program Director, Ohio State EmPOWERment Program; and Faculty Lead, Energy, Sustainability Institute, The Ohio State University; Christopher Wyche, Member, Columbus City Council, and Chair, Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee, with moderator Jerod Smalley, Co-Anchor, WCMH NBC4, and Host, Columbus 2.0. Additional panelists to be announced.