Ohio Data Center Intel

Recent Ohio data center news

• Jun 26, 2026

  Episode for June 26, 2026

  The Pennsylvania House has passed a data center ‘pause’ measure and both chambers approved repeal of the commonwealth’s sales tax break on computer equipment for data centers.

  • Main action: The Pennsylvania House and other lawmakers passed measures this week to slow data center development, including approval in both chambers to repeal the sales tax exemption on data center computer equipment and related bills tied to Governor Shapiro’s plan for “responsible” development. Brookville Borough Council separately passed a 180-day moratorium on data center development (a pause that lasts until roughly December) to give the council time to finalize local data center rules.
  • Other reporting and context: The roundup also reports that the Army Corps of Engineers‘ recent dam removal on the Monongahela River caused larger-than-expected water-level drops; researchers are trialing buoys that release an algaecide to fight harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie; environmental groups criticized recent Nippon Steel investments at U.S. Steel plants as “stopgap things to make U.S. Steel profitable in the short term”; and Pittsburgh restaurants are changing recycling, composting and waste systems. All items are presented as news summaries and local reporting rather than a single new joint announcement.
• Jun 26, 2026

  AI Data Center Loads Rewrite the Utility Playbook

  Thompson Hine hosted a forum where ReliabilityFirst and utility executives warned that hyperscale AI data centers are forcing the electric industry to redesign planning, interconnection, and transmission processes.

  • Main announcement: At the “Powering the Future: Energy in the AI Age” forum, ReliabilityFirst (Brian Thiry) and utilities stated that hyperscale AI campuses demanding hundreds of megawatts to gigawatts are forcing changes to how the grid studies, prices, and connects large customers; utilities must expand transmission, substations, transformers, and switching equipment to improve deliverability.
  • Details and context: Panelists described concrete actions and constraints: FirstEnergy introduced a two-stage load study to screen speculative projects and provide early cost/schedule estimates; equipment lead times such as transformers and breakers can take four to five years; FirstEnergy and American Electric Power are investing in >300 miles of new 765-kV transmission across Ohio; FERC has ordered RTOs to justify or reform large-load interconnection rules.
• Jun 26, 2026

  Karis named as firm behind proposed data center project in Dubuque County, Iowa

  Real estate firm Karis is reportedly behind a proposed data center project in Dubuque County, Iowa.

  • Project disclosure and status: Karis was identified via public records obtained by local news as the interested buyer seeking to purchase hundreds of acres near Dubuque Regional Airport for a proposed data center; the proposal appears to be in early stages and is subject to a 12-month Dubuque County moratorium on data centers.
  • Background and related details: Karis operates a data center platform, Karis Critical, which it says has assembled more than 1,500 acres and 3GW of potential capacity; the company recently had a Naperville, Illinois proposal denied by the Naperville City Council and is targeting additional sites in DeKalb, IL; New Albany, OH; Aiken, SC; and Birmingham, AL.
    • Town hall: nearly 300 people attended a local town hall on June 24, 2026, raising concerns on water quality, property value, utility infrastructure, and future economic development (source: KCRG).
• Jun 25, 2026

  ICF Warns Grid Deliverability May Limit AI-Era Power Growth

  ICF has released a report projecting significant electricity demand growth and warning that transmission networks may be unable to deliver power to emerging load centers.

  • Demand projections: ICF projects 21% electricity demand growth by 2030 and 39% by 2035 (from 2026 levels), with peak demand up 25% by 2035; it estimates roughly 26 GW of generating capacity above minimum reliability today (≈3% of installed capacity) which could shrink to ~20 GW by 2030, and notes the cushion in PJM and ERCOT has largely disappeared. ICF also projects 445 GW of new generation additions through 2030 (solar, storage, wind, natural gas).
  • Background and near-term constraints: Investor-owned utilities are expected to spend roughly $178 billion on transmission projects between 2025 and 2028, and the Department of Energy backs plans for ~7,500 miles of new transmission by 2030, but the report warns capital spending alone will not deliver timely relief given supply chain, siting, permitting, and labor challenges; recommended near-term measures include batteries, demand flexibility, grid-enhancing technologies, phased energization, and flexible interconnection. Regions highlighted include Texas, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast, Great Plains, and much of the West, and data center developers are widening site searches and negotiating energization schedules earlier.
• Jun 25, 2026

  FuelCell Energy signs up to 380MW fuel cell supply deal with Fit Energy to power data center operations

  FuelCell Energy has announced a binding data center power deal with Fit Energy USA to supply up to 380MW of on-site fuel cell generation.

  • Deal terms and timeline: The agreement commits FuelCell Energy to supply up to 380MW of behind-the-meter fuel cell generation to power data centers, with an immediate deposit for an initial 30MW, and delivery scheduled to begin later this year; the remaining capacity will be deployed in phases tied to deployment milestones.
  • Background and related details: The announcement cites FuelCell Energy’s product lineup (1.25MW, 2.5MW and 12.5MW systems) and notes prior non-binding partnerships including with Sustainable Development Capital (up to 450MW) and Inuverse (up to 100MW in Daegu, South Korea); Fit Energy (headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida) is described as an energy infrastructure developer focused on long-term ownership for the digital economy.
• Jun 25, 2026

  Proposed data center in Guernsey County, Ohio, could go ahead despite local government opposition

  The proposal for a data center in Guernsey County was presented by Smart Energy Partners and local real estate agent Jason Miller to county commissioners on June 9.

  • Main action: Commissioners were given a general description of the proposal on June 9; they state they lack legal authority to approve or deny a private development without a voter-approved zoning resolution, and have announced they will not provide tax abatements or infrastructure assistance for the project. Commissioners requested additional information from the developer on economic and environmental impacts.
  • Background and details: A citizen group, Guernsey County & Ohio: Data Center Developments, formed a coordinated opposition on June 19 at the Red Roof Inn to protect agricultural land, reclaimed strip-mine habitats, mature forests, water sources, and local wildlife (including potential impacts to The Wilds); Smart Energy Partners CEO Rich Stokey said discussions are early-stage and focused on site characteristics, fiber access, natural gas, and power options.
• Jun 24, 2026

  Canada's Beacon DC targets 275MW data center campus on California oil field

  Beacon Data Centers has announced plans for the Golden Valley Technology Hub, a new 275MW data center development on the Elk Hills Oil Field in Kern County, in partnership with California Resources Corporation (CRC).

  • Project details: 275MW Golden Valley Technology Hub on a 100-acre site with 400,000 sq ft (37,161 sqm) of data center space, an on-site substation, and closed-loop liquid cooling. The facility will be powered by CRC’s Elk Hills Power Plant with existing utility grid connections as backup and fifteen 2.5MW diesel generators for additional backup. Timelines for construction were not shared.
  • Background and context: Beacon was launched by Nadia Partners (March 2023) as Beacon AI Centers and claims a portfolio of more than ten campuses representing 6GW planned capacity (projects in Alberta, New Brunswick, Texas, Kern County CA, Calvert AL, and Ohio). CRC operates the adjacent 550MW Elk Hills natural gas power plant, acquired the Elk Hills Field in 2018, and had previously said it would “evaluate potential data center sites and power needs” for offtake from the power plant.
• Jun 23, 2026

  Thor Equities files lawsuit against Ohio's Urbana after data center moratorium disrupts project

  Thor Equities has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio against the city of Urbana, the city council, and the building and zoning appeals board.

  • Lawsuit and project details: Thor Equities filed suit after Urbana passed a 12-month “emergency moratorium” and rezoned Thor-owned land as unsuitable for data centers; Thor says it assembled ~230 acres, spent $19.6 million on preliminary work, and submitted a complete site plan in February 2026 for a $1 billion, 460,000 sq ft data centre project that would use closed-loop cooling and require the end user to pay for grid/transmission upgrades.
  • Context and timeline: The moratorium was passed in March and the rezoning occurred this month; Thor states the city had previously approved data centers, worked with officials for more than a year, and now alleges its plans were rejected contrary to the city’s zoning code and amid “wildly exaggerated claims about water usage, noise levels, and dangerous, baseless propaganda about health impacts”; the suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
• Jun 19, 2026

  Episode for June 19, 2026

  Governor Shapiro’s office offered to streamline permitting for Amazon.

  • Governor Shapiro’s office offered to streamline permitting for Amazon: Investigative reporting by Jael Holzman (Heatmap News) examined emails between the Governor’s office and Amazon revealing outreach to court new data centers as public opposition to AI data centers in Pennsylvania has grown. Key entity: Office of Governor Josh Shapiro; reporter: Jael Holzman; action: offer to streamline permitting for Amazon (reported, based on reviewed emails).
  • Other environmental actions and notices described: the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is accepting public comment on a proposed wastewater discharge permit for the Rustic Ridge coal mine that would allow 2.8M gallons of treated wastewater into a Laurel Highlands trout stream; coverage also highlights the American burying beetle recovery effort, the century-old fire tower wildfire-detection system, and a coalition of conservation groups in Westmoreland County seeking property owners to support monarch butterflies.
• Jun 17, 2026

  Missouri Emerges as the Next Hyperscale Frontier Amid Growing Power Demands

  Amazon has announced plans to invest $10 billion in a new data center campus in Montgomery County, Missouri, following Google’s prior $15 billion Montgomery County announcement, bringing recent hyperscale commitments in the county to $25 billion.

  • Main announcement and project details: Amazon announced a $10 billion data center campus (Project Green) near New Florence on a roughly 1,000-acre site; the company said the project will create more than 400 full-time jobs and thousands of construction positions, pay 100% of utility infrastructure extension costs, not receive discounted electric rates, and design cooling to use water-based systems <7% of the year; construction activities reportedly began in April.
  • Background and implementation context: This follows Google’s $15 billion Montgomery County data center announcement (combined $25 billion); analysts cited power and economics as drivers as hyperscalers seek new markets; Missouri Governor Kehoe issued Executive Order 26-02 (Jan 2026) directing the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to review energy regulations and infrastructure planning with a report due Nov 30, 2026.