Sherrod Brown Opposes Ohio's 226 Data Centers After Backing 2015 Amazon Expansion
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 8
Sherrod Brown Opposes Ohio's 226 Data Centers After Backing 2015 Amazon Expansion
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 8
Summary
Sherrod Brown is now campaigning against Ohio’s 226 data centers, casting them as power-hungry projects that raise household electricity costs as he seeks a Senate comeback against Jon Husted.
In 2015, Brown praised Amazon’s third Central Ohio data center as “great news” for jobs and regional growth, underscoring a sharp reversal from his current message.
Brown says he would require data centers to pay the full cost of their electricity, aligning with a broader Democratic push to tie AI infrastructure to affordability, water use and grid strain.
Ohio has become a key battleground because tax breaks for projects investing more than $100 million helped attract Amazon and Google, while costing the state $1.6 billion in forgone revenue in 2025.
The shift comes amid a wider progressive backlash that includes a Sanders-AOC proposal for a nationwide moratorium on new data center construction, even as debate continues over their actual effect on utility rates.