Are data centers worth the investment? What’s in it for the region?

Data centers take up large swaths of land, create a small number of permanent jobs, soak up largely undisclosed amounts of water and zap the energy grid so much that American Electric Power has warned that demand in greater Columbus will be similar to that of Manhattan by 2030. At least one central Ohio local government, Jerome Township, put a moratorium on new data centers as it weighs their effects on the community and local services.

Maria DeVito