The Digital Toll: Mapping Ohio’s Shifting Environmental and Social Landscape

By: Green Environmental Outreach (GEO) Staff

As we move through 2026, Ohio finds itself at a crossroads. Our state has rapidly transformed into the nation’s second-largest data center hub, trailing only Chicago in the Great Lakes region. While "The Cloud" sounds ethereal, its physical footprint in Ohio is heavy—consuming vast amounts of land, water, and power.

At Green Environmental Outreach (GEO), we believe that environmental health cannot be separated from social equity. The "booming" tech economy is creating a ripple effect that touches everything from your monthly electric bill to the availability of fresh produce in our neighborhoods.

1. The Power Hunger: Data Centers and Your Utility Bill

Ohio now hosts nearly 200 data centers. These facilities, essential for AI and digital infrastructure, are projected to double their share of the state’s energy consumption to 10.9% by next year.

The environmental cost is twofold:

*Energy Strain: The massive demand has triggered an "affordability crisis." In mid-2025, regional capacity prices surged by over 800%, leading to a 10-15% increase in electricity costs for the average household.

Water Consumption: To keep servers from overheating, data centers can "gobble up" as much water as tens of thousands of residents. In Central Ohio, this has led to growing concerns over groundwater subsidence—the literal sinking of land due to over-extraction.

GEO Insight: While the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently required data centers to pay for 85% of their projected energy use to protect residents, the long-term strain on our grid still prioritizes corporate uptime over community affordability.

2. The Intersection of Energy and Homelessness

Environmental justice includes the right to a safe, climate-controlled home. However, the 14% increase in Ohio's homeless population since 2019 is being exacerbated by rising utility costs.

When energy prices spike, "housing instability" becomes a reality for the 1.2 million Ohioans who already spend half their income on housing. For those already unhoused, the lack of "cooling centers" or heated shelters during Ohio’s extreme weather peaks—often driven by the same grid instability caused by high industrial loads—is a direct threat to life.

3. Food Apartheid and the "Waste-Hunger" Paradox

As we advocate for a greener Ohio, we must address Food Apartheid—the systemic lack of access to healthy food in low-income neighborhoods. This isn't just a "food desert" by accident; it's a result of geographical and economic barriers.

The Data Connection: As data centers occupy large swaths of suburban and rural land, they often displace potential agricultural space or drive up land values, making community gardens and local urban farming more difficult to sustain.

The Waste Problem: Remarkably, 22% of Ohio’s landfill content is food waste. In Columbus alone, nearly 2 in 10 households face food insecurity while over a million pounds of food enter landfills daily.

4. Moving Toward a Resilient Ohio

The challenges are interconnected, but so are the solutions. To protect our local communities, GEO is advocating for:

Circular Economies: Encouraging data centers to reuse "waste heat" to power nearby greenhouses or community centers.

Green Guardrails: Supporting House Bill 646 and other legislation that requires strict environmental reporting and transparency from tech giants.

Solar for All: Expanding community solar programs that allow low-income residents to bypass rising grid costs.

How You Can Help

The transition to a digital economy shouldn't leave our neighbors in the dark or our taps dry. We need voices at local zoning meetings and state hearings to ensure that "progress" includes everyone.