Ohio

Civic/Governance Barriers activates on moratorium-class action (C1), meaningful 2026 race (C3) — governance instruments on the electoral, legislative, and regulatory surface (protocol §10; Overview Civic breakout). Weather/Climate activates on extreme-heat large-load curtailment affecting power infrastructure (W3): U.S. DOE Federal Power Act §202(c) emergency orders in 2026 (including Nos. 202-26-23, 202-26-33, 202-26-33a, and 202-26-35) authorized PJM to direct ≥50 MW large loads — the hyperscale data-center profile — onto onsite backup generation during heat-wave reliability emergencies as a last resort before or during EEA Level 3 (DOE Order 202-26-23; DOE Order 202-26-35). Capital Flows is a dominant stressor: the AEP Ohio tariff (85%-of-capacity minimum, exit fees, financial assurance) and HB 706's statewide anti-cost-shift regime with 12-year commitments are core insurability/stranded-asset mechanics (POWER Magazine, State News/Ideastream). Energy/Power (home energy prices in the governor's race), Water/Geology and Talent/Workforce also feature in the Licking County cluster debate.

The open 2026 governor's race (Republican Vivek Ramaswamy vs. Democrat Amy Acton) sits within a broader energy-cost debate in which data centers' effect on home energy prices is a salient voter concern, though it is not the single defining plank (State News/Ideastream).

No statewide enacted ban, and the constitutional-amendment ban did not qualify, but a wide local moratorium wave is underway. New Albany's Plan Commission advanced a one-year moratorium to City Council (July vote) after Mayor Gahan's June proposal (New Albany City Hall, WDRB). Cleveland's utilities committee advanced a three-month moratorium (full council vote ~July 15) (Axios Cleveland); Butler County commissioners imposed a six-month pause on Oxford Township and five neighboring townships (effective June 17) (Patch); Muhlenberg Township adopted a moratorium running through Feb. 3, 2027 (Data Center Dynamics).

HB 706 (Rep. Casey Weinstein, D, with Reps. Thomas/Holmes) would extend a data-center tariff statewide — requiring long-term service agreements, 12-year minimum commitments, exit fees/financial assurance, and barring utilities from shifting data-center costs onto other customers (State News/Ideastream, Ohio House). PUCO already approved AEP Ohio's landmark tariff (July 2025) requiring loads over 25 MW to pay for at least 85% of subscribed capacity for up to 12 years, with exit fees and financial assurance (POWER Magazine).

No longer on the 2026 ballot. Conserve Ohio (Ohio Residents for Responsible Development) sought a constitutional amendment banning data centers over 25 MW — AG Yost certified it Mar. 16, 2026 and the Ballot Board approved it as a single measure Apr. 2, 2026 — but the group collected only ~70,000 of the 413,488 signatures needed by the July 1, 2026 deadline and will not submit this year, now targeting 2027 (Ohio Attorney General, BG Independent Media).

The New Albany/Licking County cluster (Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, QTS) is the flagship — among the highest data-center densities of any U.S. county — now facing New Albany's proposed one-year moratorium (New Albany City Hall).

Jobs-and-tax-abatement debate around the Licking County cluster (Microsoft paused ~$1B then restarted without tax abatements) supports a secondary Talent/Workforce read tied to jobs-promised-vs-delivered (State News/Ideastream).

Major hub; Ohio is a leading U.S. data-center market anchored by the New Albany/Licking County cluster (Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, QTS) in AEP territory, with emerging Mahoning Valley/Lordstown sites (New Albany City Hall).

Conserve Ohio said 'the July 1st deadline was our best case scenario for the quickest possible action, and it just didn't pan out... We are not going to be submitting this year' (BG Independent Media).

POWER Magazine — AEP Ohio tariff; State News/Ideastream — HB 706; Ohio House — HB 706 ratepayer pledge; Ohio Attorney General — petition certified; State News/Ideastream — ballot hurdle; BG Independent Media — not on 2026 ballot; New Albany City Hall — moratorium proposal; New Albany City Hall — special meeting; WDRB — Plan Commission advances; Axios Cleveland — moratorium; Patch — Butler County/Oxford; Data Center Dynamics — Muhlenberg; DOE Order 202-26-23; DOE Order 202-26-35