Story perspectives

Ohio Breaks Ground on 8-Gigawatt AI Data Center Campus

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 3:17 PM UTC · How we work

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Summary

U.S. Developers Build

U.S. developers are building multi-gigawatt AI data center campuses across Ohio, Texas, Louisiana and Utah.
SoftBank’s SB Energy broke ground on an 8-gigawatt PORTS-Pike campus in Ohio, slated for 2028.
Meta’s $50 billion Hyperion AI project in Louisiana targets 5 gigawatts, aiming for 2028 completion.
President Donald Trump says the data center boom drives prosperity and strategic advantage over China.

Summary

Hobbs Suspends Credits

Gov. Katie Hobbs suspended data center tax credits for three years starting July 1, 2026.
AG Kris Mayes urged a pause on data center approvals at an Oct 14, 2026 town hall.
Harris County, Texas, reports 46 operating data centers and six under development, fearing an 8-gigawatt surge by 2029.
Residents near Menlo Digital’s Ahwatukee project filed ten noise complaints since April 2026, citing 110-decibel bedroom levels.

History

Historical Context

In 2010, North Carolina enacted a Data Center Tax Incentive, spurring a $1.5 billion surge and attracting IBM, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft. The legislature projected 30 facilities by 2015, delivering 5 gigawatts and creating 12,000 jobs, per the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Today's multi-gigawatt AI campuses in Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, and Utah mirror that model, as SoftBank’s SB Energy, Meta, and Menlo Digital chase tax credits. The earlier incentive’s mixed boost and pushback warn that unchecked growth may trigger freezes like Arizona’s 2026 tax-credit suspension and noise complaints.

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U.S. Developers Build

U.S. developers are building multi-gigawatt AI data center campuses across Ohio, Texas, Louisiana and Utah.
SoftBank’s SB Energy broke ground on an 8-gigawatt PORTS-Pike campus in Ohio, slated for 2028.
Meta’s $50 billion Hyperion AI project in Louisiana targets 5 gigawatts, aiming for 2028 completion.
President Donald Trump says the data center boom drives prosperity and strategic advantage over China.

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