Ohio Data Center Intel

Recent Ohio data center news

• Mar 20, 2026

  Ohio EPA to review data center wastewater permit for river disposal

  The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is considering a proposed general wastewater permit to streamline authorization for data centers to discharge certain wastewaters into surface waters.

  • Main action: The Ohio EPA has proposed a general wastewater permit that would allow data centers to discharge non-contact cooling water, small amounts of wastewater from cooling towers or boilers, and certain stormwater runoff (from generators, storage tanks, equipment and loading/service areas) under a streamlined, universal permitting process instead of individualized NPDES permits. The agency accepted public comments through Jan. 16 and is currently reviewing submissions; no formal decision has been issued.
  • Background/details: The article cites 201 data center facilities in Ohio, notes large centers can use up to 5 million gallons per day (EESI), and records concerns from experts (Randi Pokladnik, Lea Harper/Freshwater Accountability Project) about PFAS, metals (copper, zinc, lead), heated effluent encouraging algae growth, and other contaminants; the Ohio EPA provided a fact sheet stating the proposed permit would maintain water quality protections.
• Mar 20, 2026

  How to Build an Affordable Energy Future

  NRDC will develop and release a series of papers called the Build Clean Agenda focused on three areas of reform to speed clean energy and infrastructure deployment.

  • Main action: NRDC will publish a multi-paper Build Clean Agenda to modernize laws and permitting, level the playing field for clean energy, and design projects that benefit communities; it calls for U.S. renewable energy production to roughly quadruple, and for at least tripling grid capacity over the next 25 years, and highlights the Western Solar Plan identifying 31 million acres for siting solar on public lands.
  • Background and specifics: The piece documents concrete barriers and numbers: the oil, gas, and coal industries receive $34 billion in annual federal subsidies; a 2025 partisan tax bill risks an estimated half a trillion dollars of private clean-energy investment and may raise consumer fuel/energy costs $78–$192 per year; it cites projects like the Grain Belt Express facing multi-year delays and supports targeted reforms such as expanding the “One Federal Decision” approach and giving a federal lead (e.g., FERC) authority to coordinate interstate transmission permitting where uniform standards are met.
• Mar 16, 2026

  AEP Ohio Default Supply Rate Projected to Rise $37 by June

  OHEnergyRatings.com warns AEP Ohio will likely raise its Price to Compare (PTC) supply rates, potentially increasing average monthly bills by about $37 for typical customers by June.

  • Main announcement: OHEnergyRatings.com says AEP Ohio may raise PTC rates on April 1 and a further increase tied to PJM capacity auction rules on June 1 could combine to raise average monthly bills by $37 (example: from current levels to ~14 cents/kWh). It notes AEP Ohio will change PTC rates three times between March 31 and July 4, with two of those likely increases.
  • Background and specifics:Winter Storm Fern drove natural gas demand and prices higher (Henry Hub $9.03 per mmBTU on Jan 28, NYMEX Feb contract $7.460 per mmBTU; some regional hubs spiked > $40 per mmBTU). Historical April PTC changes averaged ~2%; a minimum 2% April hike would set AEP Ohio to 12.678 cents/kWh (an 850 kWh monthly user would pay ~$17 more). A prior June 1, 2025 capacity change added ~2.2 cents/kWh; a repeat-sized June increase could add ~$20 more, yielding the combined $37 figure. The analysis cites data center development and LNG exports as contributing to higher gas-driven generation demand.
• Mar 16, 2026

  The Frog Is Dead: North America’s Power Grid Faces Its Biggest Reckoning in a Generation

  S&P Global Energy warned that North American power demand is accelerating—driven in large part by a surge in data center development—creating a near-term supply crisis that will require rapid investment, permitting, and technology shifts.

  • Main announcement/action:S&P Global Energy projects much higher near-term electricity demand (now 2.5–3%+ annual growth vs. prior <1%), reports 43 GW of U.S. gas turbine orders in 2025, highlights multi-year turbine backlogs (up to ~5 years), and flags regional investment flows (largest 2025 turbine share to MISO, SPP, and the southeastern U.S.). The firm also called out data center clusters in Columbus, Ohio with new facilities hitting the grid within 3–4 years, and recommends watching natural-gas fuel cells and a wave of IPOs in 2026 for geothermal, SMRs, and distributed generation.
  • Background and supporting details:Nuclear has bipartisan support but needs project financing and DOE support (DOE pledged a billion-dollar loan commitment for the Crane Energy Center/Three Mile Island restart); S&P identifies >5 GW of potential nuclear uprates with 1–2 GW announced; M&A valuation comparators cited were ~$800/kW (acquired plants 18–24 months ago), $1,500/kW (new-build then), and ~$2,400/kW (current acquisition costs); recent infrastructure transaction cited: $11 billion take-private deal involving GIP, EQT, Qatar Investment Authority, and AES.

  Event: Global Power Markets Conference

  • Date: April 13–15, 2026
  • Location: Four Seasons Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Agenda/subject: Global power market trends including grid investment, generation mix, storage, and policy (hosted by S&P Global Energy)
• Mar 13, 2026

  Episode for March 13, 2026

  Penn State has launched Prepare PA, a statewide initiative to help communities build climate resiliency against increased extreme weather and flooding.

  • Prepare PA launched by Penn State: Penn State is hosting a new state-wide initiative called Prepare PA to help Pennsylvania communities prepare for the climate crisis (focused on extreme weather and flooding) and build local climate resiliency.
  • Additional verified actions and details from the episode: Pasa Sustainable Agriculture renegotiated and had a $59 million federal contract with the USDA reinstated after funding was clawed back last spring; a state House committee is advancing measures to help towns set guidelines on data center construction; Allegheny Land Trust partnered with the Pittsburgh Penguins and a Pittsburgh-based natural gas company to purchase local forest carbon credits; Pennsylvania agencies will coordinate recommendations on wildlife corridors.
• Mar 13, 2026

  Digital Infrastructure Boom Faces Complex Labor Crisis

  William Self of Mercer warned that labor — not capital, land, or energy — is the single biggest constraint on the current data center buildout during a Marsh-hosted webinar on March 9.

  • Main announcement/action:William Self (Mercer) stated the workforce shortfall could be 75,000–140,000 skilled workers over the next few years; he said companies must plan for two talent phases (construction trades vs. long-term operations) and build labor pipelines via apprenticeships, community college partnerships, veteran pipelines, and in-house academies. The webinar was hosted by Marsh on March 9.
  • Background and details: Self flagged geographic shifts from hubs (Northern Virginia, Phoenix, Dallas) to emerging locales (Columbus, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Abilene, Texas; rural Louisiana; Texas Panhandle), noted a resulting boomtown dynamic and service shortfalls, reported cross-industry poaching (power/utilities, defense, process industries), mentioned a risk-based pay response to a “psychological burden” tied to conflict in the Middle East, and cited typical data center technician pay of $60,000–$90,000 annually.
• Mar 13, 2026

  Illinois to data centers: Bring your own renewables and skip the line

  The Protecting Our Water, Energy, and Ratepayers Act (POWER Act) has been introduced in Illinois to incentivize data centers to build or procure new clean energy by offering fast interconnection and guaranteed access to the amount of clean power they procure.

  • Main action: The bill would give data centers a fast-track grid connection if they submit a clean energy plan that procures 80% of predicted annual demand from new clean energy by 2030 and 100% by 2045, and it guarantees uninterrupted access to the amount of clean energy they pay to build or acquire; it also allows utilities to curtail facilities that fail to meet clean-energy thresholds during high-demand periods.
  • Additional details and context: The bill requires data centers to pay for transmission and substation upgrades, contribute to a public benefits and affordability fund (amounts set by peak demand), funds a compensation fund for community groups intervening in regulatory proceedings, mandates quarterly water-use reports and community-benefit agreements, and is supported by the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and groups like Vote Solar and the Union of Concerned Scientists; the Illinois legislative session ends in late May and the measure will undergo consensus-building.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Fossil generation could rise with faster-than-expected growth in data center power demand

  The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published an analysis showing that faster-than-expected electricity demand growth driven by data centers could increase natural gas and coal generation and raise wholesale electricity prices.

  • Main analysis and assumptions: The EIA produced a high demand growth scenario in which 2026 and 2027 growth rates are 50% higher than the February STEO in data-center-heavy regions, while other regions are +1 percentage point above STEO; the scenario assumes no additional generating capacity beyond the February STEO and applies an assumed +$0.50/MMBtu increase in natural gas delivered prices across regions.
  • Key modeled outcomes and metrics: Under the scenario, natural gas generation rises to +7.3% (123 BkWh) between 2025–2027 (vs 1.7% baseline), coal generation declines by 5.0% (37 BkWh) nationwide in the high case, and ERCOT 2027 wholesale prices model +$37/MWh above the February STEO (excluding ERCOT the average 2027 wholesale price is +$2.10/MWh above the STEO forecast of $48/MWh).
• Mar 10, 2026

  US solar installations down in 2025 after Trump policies jolt market, report says

  The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie published a study showing US new solar installations fell to 43 GW in 2025, down from nearly 50 GW in 2024.

  • Study finding and causes:43 GW installed in 2025 versus nearly 50 GW in 2024; utility-scale solar installations declined 16% and community solar declined 25% in 2025. The report attributes the disruption to policy changes under the Trump administration, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the scrapping of subsidies and tax breaks for renewable developers, and a freeze on approvals for major projects. Top states: Texas added 11 GW, followed by Indiana, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, Utah and Arkansas.
  • Background and projections: The report notes solar and energy storage accounted for 79% of new capacity additions in the first year of the Trump administration, with more than two-thirds of installations in states won by him. It projects the US will add 490 GW of new solar capacity by 2036, taking cumulative installed capacity to nearly 770 GW. Key spokespersons: Darren Van’t Hof (SEIA interim President and CEO) and Michelle Davis (head of solar, Wood Mackenzie).
• Mar 9, 2026

  Babcock &amp; Wilcox Will Deliver 1.2 GW of Gas-Fired Capacity for Applied Digital Data Centers

  Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) has received notice to proceed on a $2.4-billion design-build agreement with Base Electron to supply 1.2 GW of natural gas-fired capacity supporting Applied Digital’s AI data center campuses.

  • Main announcement: B&W will engineer, procure, and build four 300-MW natural gas-fired boiler and steam turbine generator systems (total 1.2 GW) supplied by Siemens Energy under a $2.4-billion design-build agreement with Base Electron to supply power for Applied Digital’s AI factory campuses; work already is underway.
  • Background and details: Applied Digital’s Delta Forge 1 (southern U.S.) is designed for initial 430 MW utility power (up to 300 MW critical IT load), with operations expected mid-2027; Applied Digital also has the Polaris program (a $3-billion, 700-MW complex expected online later this year) and is evaluating an option with Base Electron for an additional 1.2 GW of generation capacity.