Trump Urges Ohio Support for Data Centers Amid AI Competition Concerns

He framed the issue as part of a broader U.S.–China competition in artificial intelligence, suggesting that allowing data centers would keep economic advantages at home.

The Independent

Ohio has become a target for large-scale data-center projects because of its central location and relatively low energy costs. State officials have promoted the industry as a source of tax revenue, while critics note that data centers typically generate few permanent jobs, can raise local electricity rates, and bring noise, light and other environmental impacts. Former lieutenant governor John Husted, now a state senator, introduced legislation to require large power users to shoulder a greater share of energy costs, but Senate Democrats blocked the bill.

The Independent

President Trump reiterated his opposition to any moratorium on data-center construction and dismissed calls from AI developers, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, to pause AI research for safety reasons. He argued that the economic benefits for Ohio outweigh the concerns raised by developers and environmental groups.

The Independent

• “Sen. Jon Husted gave billions in tax breaks to Big Tech to make sure they would build their data centers in Ohio,” — Sherrod Brown, democratic former senator

The Independent