Data centers are shaping up to be a very important topic in the 2026 midterms.

Ohio has become fertile ground for data center construction. The state has some 200 data centers. At first, companies were building them near cities. The Columbus area has more than half of the state’s data centers, while metro Cleveland and Cincinnati have a couple dozen each.

But more computer companies are looking to rural areas to locate the centers.

These data centers need a lot of power to run the computers and keep them cool. Utilities struggle to keep up. They must expand the grid and bring new generation online. The question is who is going to pay for it. Residential electrical bills have already risen because of the increased demand.

These centers also need water to help keep servers cool.

At first, communities and the state fell over themselves to attract data centers. It is considered cool to have Google and Meta in a small town, and the thinking goes that data centers will bring in other companies.

Local communities offered tax breaks and the state offered incentives. The state does not charge sales tax to data center firms when they buy equipment for their facilities.

But as electric bills rise and the data centers start to encroach upon suburbs and swallow up farmland, suddenly, they are not so cool. Politicians are hearing from voters and starting to ask if data centers are worth it.

This week, a group of people in far southern Ohio along the Ohio River submitted petition language and signatures in an effort to win passage of a new constitutional amendment to ban large data centers in Ohio. It is the first step in a difficult process. The group must collect more than 400,000 valid signatures in the next three and a half months to get on the November ballot.

Joining us to discuss this effort is Nikki Gerber, co-organizer of the group.

Higher Ed

No matter what you think of his positions, Vivek Ramaswamy is not afraid to take bold stances. The Republican started his campaign for governor, looking to eliminate income taxes and property taxes.

He and his campaign later clarified his position, stating that he wants to lower property taxes.

This week, he was caught on video targeting Ohio colleges and universities.

"We have too many of them," Ramaswamy said, "They need to be consolidated. And when you consolidate them, they can actually be centers of excellence who are actually the best in their respective domains, instead of trying to create replicas and clones of one another throughout the state.”

After the clip went viral and criticism followed, the Ramaswamy campaign said he does not support eliminating universities. Instead, the campaign stated he wants to cut the bureaucracy that burdens them to make college more affordable.

Still, Democrats say the comment shows that Ramaswamy is out of touch with Ohioans.

According to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the state has:

• 36 public two-year and four-year colleges and universities
• 74 independent institutions
• 49 technical centers

Families are not having as many children, so the number of students is shrinking. Additionally, more young people are avoiding college and the debt that often comes with it. Ramaswamy may be saying out loud what many in academia say privately.

Snollygoster of the week

This week, John Kasich criticized JobsOhio, the state’s publicly funded, privately run economic agency, for paying $60,000 to sponsor four episodes of a podcast hosted by a woman linked to the sudden resignation of Ohio State University President Ted Carter.

Kasich wrote on social media that he was extremely disappointed in JobsOhio for the sponsorship and worried the agency was drifting away from its mission.

It is very hard to know if JobsOhio is spending its money wisely because Gov. Kasich and the legislature set it up as a private entity. The public cannot see its spending.

Even current Attorney General Dave Yost called out Kasich, telling him to look in the mirror. Yost wrote that when he was state auditor, he wanted to audit JobsOhio but the governor successfully fought it off.

So, for now, pointing fingers at a secretive organization he set up, former Gov. John Kasich gets our Snollygoster of the Week award.

(photo: Mark Duncan / AP)