As the debate over data centers in Ohio continues, the state’s gubernatorial candidates are laying out their vision for how they’ll handle the growing number of development projects. Both Amy Acton (Democrat) and Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican) are on the record as to what their policy will be.

Acton’s Policy

Acton supports a conditional moratorium on data centers to meet requirements on things such as costs, labor, environmental standards, and transparency. In a statement, Acton said she will take immediate action and support a conditional moratorium on data centers to ensure they cover one hundred percent of their utility costs, exclusively build with union labor, operate with full transparency, adhere to Ohio’s environmental standards, support the needs of local communities, and bring jobs to former industrial areas that have been left behind.

Ramaswamy’s Policy

Ramaswamy laid out a three-pronged policy for how he will handle data centers built in Ohio. Ramaswamy says his policy can and must go further than Acton’s plan. If a data center is built in a community, then residents will no longer have to pay for their home’s electricity, they will pay lower property taxes, and the data center will be required to abide by all air and water quality standards without exception, and the state will take the necessary steps to protect Ohio’s fertile farmland.

Ohio’s lawmakers have also taken action, rapidly advancing a set of regulations to address the state’s rapidly growing data center industry. Governor Mike DeWine has ordered a pause on all new tax exemptions for data centers.

Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.