Cuyahoga County's new data center playbook
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Cuyahoga County recently released a new Data Center Development Guide to help municipalities evaluate proposals, negotiate stronger terms and avoid being taken advantage of by developers.
Why it matters: Data centers are spreading across Ohio, but local officials are still learning how best to shepherd projects that can consume enormous amounts of electricity, water and land while creating relatively few permanent jobs.
Zoom in: The guide urges communities to ask about power demand, water use, grid upgrades, backup generators, jobs, infrastructure costs and decommissioning plans.
- Ohio is home to nearly 200 data centers, and as Central Ohio grows more crowded, developers are increasingly looking north.
What they're saying: "We owe it to our residents to stop bad deals before they start," County Executive Chris Ronayne said in a statement accompanying the guide.
- "Left unchecked, data center projects can drain our power, our water, and our tax dollars without creating enough new jobs or tax revenue."
The intrigue: The guide warns communities not to sign nondisclosure agreements, accept developers' economic impact projections without independent review or rely on verbal assurances about water, energy, noise or emissions.
- It also recommends temporary moratoriums, zoning changes and community benefits agreements as policy tools.
Friction point: The county's guide arrives amid mounting public skepticism and a brake-pumping stance from Cleveland City Hall.
- Cleveland last month rejected a permit for a proposed $1.6 billion hyperscale data center in Slavic Village, and City Council is considering a temporary moratorium on new data center development.