Ohio Pauses Data Center Tax Breaks as Costs Skyrocket

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has paused a tax break program for new data centers so lawmakers can review its impact on the budget, energy, and local communities. Existing projects from Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta won't be affected. The state originally expected a $136 million loss in 2025, but actual tax losses hit $554 million in 2024 and nearly $1.6 billion in 2025. High resource use by data centers has also raised concerns about power, water, and land. Despite the big tax losses, DeWine noted that the projects have brought $27.2 billion in investments in 2025 alone, boosting jobs and the economy.