Ohio Chamber Foundation Data Center Study: A strategic blueprint for digital growth—Op-Ed

By Steve Stivers

Ohio is experiencing a digital infrastructure boom that is rapidly reshaping its economy. Once best known for manufacturing and agriculture, the state has attracted more than $40 billion in private data center investment, earning recognition as the aspiring “Silicon Heartland.” Columbus has emerged as one of the fastest-growing global hubs, elevating Ohio into the top tier of North American Markets.

The Ohio Chamber Foundation’s newly released study on the economic impact of data centers confirms what many in business and government already suspected: these facilities are not just technological infrastructure, but engines for investment, opportunity, and smart growth. As the report notes, Columbus has emerged as one of the fastest-growing global data center hubs.

The headline numbers are compelling. The study finds that in 2024, data center activity in Ohio supported 95,217 jobs (direct, indirect, and induced) and generated $26.4 billion in total economic output. A closer look at this employment data reveals the dynamic nature of the industry's impact: of the nearly 37,000 direct jobs, about 19,400 are in construction and development, reflecting the current building boom. These are combined with approximately 17,300 permanent operational roles and tens of thousands of additional indirect and induced jobs across the state.

This kind of impact matters for every stakeholder. Projections show Ohio’s data center industry sustaining strong momentum through the end of the decade. By 2030, the sector is expected to support roughly 132,500 jobs and contribute nearly $20.2 billion annually to state GDP under baseline conditions. That level of output would elevate the industry into Ohio’s economic top decile—around the top 7th percentile—placing it among the state’s most productive and strategic sectors.

How do we ensure that Ohio continues on this promising trajectory to meet these projections? First, credibility must guide our incentives. The study finds Ohio’s incentive strategy has been a resounding success, generating a 2.1-to-1 return on investment. While data centers are not always major employers in terms of ongoing operations, they deliver substantial value through sustained construction activity, local contracting, infrastructure upgrades, and community investment. These facilities also help attract complementary industries and strengthen Ohio’s technology ecosystem. That’s why it’s important that incentive agreements continue to emphasize local benefits, workforce development, and transparent performance tracking, ensuring these projects create lasting value across the state.

Second, collaboration is essential across sectors. The study reinforces that data center success depends on healthy electric grids, robust fiber networks, and utility readiness. The core challenge of the energy bottleneck is the timing mismatch: data centers can be built in 18–36 months, while major energy grid upgrades often take 5–10 years. A few steps to consider on this front are deploying natural gas as bridge fuel, scaling behind-the-meter generation for large consumers, and expanding Priority Investment Areas (like brownfields) for fast-track approval. Changes with utility systems don’t happen overnight.

Third, this is a future-oriented moment. As AI, cloud computing, and edge services expand, Ohio could become a digital infrastructure hub of the Midwest. Already, Ohio ranks fourth worldwide in operational capacity. With hyperscalers like AWS, Google, and Meta investing over billions in the state—much of it centered here in Central Ohio—we have a generational opportunity to secure leadership. To maintain that edge, we must invest in talent, sustainability, and adaptive incentives.

Thus, as we release this study, the Ohio Chamber Foundation issues a call to action: we must set guardrails now so that incentives bring new opportunities to our state, infrastructure upgrades happen as needed, and benefits are seen at the local level. We need to continue investment in workforce training, focusing on cooling systems, power distribution, network engineering, and automation.

This study is not an endpoint, but a foundation — one where Ohio can chart its path to being not just a host of data centers, but a leader in the digital economy. Let’s ensure the returns from data center investment are felt in our towns, our universities, our workforce, and our neighborhoods. That’s how we will make Ohio the digital backbone of America’s future.

Steve Stivers is the President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.