New Albany's data center corridor faces mounting political pressure as national polling shows 75% of respondents now oppose new data center projects near their communities.

A year ago, attitudes were nearly even at 42% to 43%, according to Heatmap News surveys cited by the Ohio Capital Journal. An Ohio Environmental Council poll of likely Ohio voters in March found 82% believe data centers are driving up household energy costs.

Five data center companies operating in the New Albany International Business Park (Meta, Amazon, Google, QTS and SoftBank) announced combined donations totaling $18.5 million to AEP Ohio's Neighbor to Neighbor utility bill assistance program on Aug. 27. The total includes $1 million from AEP shareholders.

"These additional funds are a significant infusion for a program that helps Ohioans in need," AEP Ohio President Marc Reitter said. "This fund has always been about neighbors helping neighbors, and we are happy that our data center customers are a part of it."

Critics say the money amounts to a public relations response to a political crisis.

Morgan Harper, co-founder of Columbus Stand Up, said the announcement "seems like a PR play from both big tech companies and AEP." Tom Bullock, head of the Citizens Utility Board of Ohio, said he wished the companies were addressing root causes like home weatherization and energy efficiency rather than bill assistance grants.

The Neighbor to Neighbor program awards grants of $500 or less to low-income households with overdue AEP bills. More than 200,000 Ohio households currently qualify, according to WYSO. AEP estimates each $1 million assists about 2,000 families.

Gubernatorial candidates target the industry

Both candidates for Ohio governor have released plans to restrict data center growth.

Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy released an "Ohioans-first data center pledge" calling for a moratorium on construction until legislation passes. He proposed that data centers cover nearby residents' power bills through credits or direct reimbursements.

"The data center industry has badly failed to earn the trust of millions of everyday Ohioans," Ramaswamy said in an Aug. 8 statement reported by WYSO.

Democratic nominee Amy Acton called for a conditional moratorium on July 27, with conditions including covering all utility costs, using 100% union labor, locating on brownfields rather than farmland and signing community benefit agreements.

Ohio's next governor will appoint five members of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and one member of the Ohio Power Siting Board. That gives the incoming administration significant regulatory power over the industry.

Ballot initiative targets 2027

A grassroots group called Ohio Residents for Responsible Development is collecting signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban construction of new data centers consuming more than 25 megawatts of electricity per month. The Ohio Ballot Board unanimously certified the measure, according to Farm Progress. Organizers are now targeting the 2027 ballot after missing the 2026 deadline.

The group needs more than 413,000 signatures from at least 44 counties to qualify.

What it means for New Albany

New Albany hosts 40 operating data centers in its 12,000-acre International Business Park, with 28 more planned or under construction, according to News 5 Cleveland. Meta, Google, Amazon, QTS and a forthcoming Microsoft campus all operate or are building there.

The city generated $10 million in community development charge revenue from data centers in tax year 2024, according to the city's data center finances page. A single hyperscaler generated payroll-equivalent revenue of $178 million that same year. New Albany holds a AAA bond rating from both Moody's and S&P.

New Albany maintains that AEP rate adjustments apply across the utility's entire multi-state service area regardless of whether a data center sits in the business park, according to the city's resident FAQ.

Governor Mike DeWine froze a sales and use tax break for data center construction in May and said in August the freeze "will continue until I leave office," leaving the decision to the next governor.