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Last Update: 09/17/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
Data Center Incentives Face a Reckoning
Coverage from Greenfield Recorder, JD Supra, and others
States and municipalities are tightening scrutiny of large data centers as incentive costs, electricity demand, water use, land impacts, and community concerns become more visible.
Ohio paused new tax-exemption requests after reported costs reached nearly $1.6 billion in 2025 and launched a legislative review, while Massachusetts established statewide review requirements for projects above 25 megawatts. The developments could slow approvals, increase project costs, and shift more responsibility for infrastructure and community impacts to developers.
Key Articles4 of 126 articles
If you read one thing
Ohio Pauses Data Center Tax Break Amid Rising OppositionIt introduces the central Ohio conflict over rising incentive costs, proposed restrictions, and the broader pushback against hyperscale data centers.
The counter-case
Oregon Pauses New Data Center Requests on State-Owned LandIt presents the moratorium-oriented response through Oregon’s state-land pause while connecting expansion to electricity, water, infrastructure, and community impacts.
The evidence
Massachusetts Requires Local Approval for Data Center PermitsIt provides a concrete conditional-permitting model requiring local approval, community benefits, clean power, resource capacity, and ratepayer protections.
The evidence
Ohio Lawmakers Stall on Data Center Regulation BillIt supplies specific Ohio evidence on the nearly $1.57 billion incentive cost and proposed rules for electricity, water, and tax-break limits.
Key Issues
Local approval and development pauses are central controls
States and municipalities are using local approval requirements, moratoria, and state-land pauses to constrain where data centers can proceed. Massachusetts requires local approval for covered projects, while Oregon has paused unapproved state-land transactions and lacks clear authority for a private-land statewide moratorium.
Stable
Governments are reassessing incentives and shifting costs to developers
Policy is increasingly aimed at limiting ratepayer exposure, requiring developers to fund grid and infrastructure needs, and reducing or pausing tax benefits. Massachusetts has adopted cost-protection mechanisms and Oregon has a large-user cost framework, while Ohio reforms remain unresolved and long-term agreements largely persist.
Stable
Power, water, and environmental capacity are approval conditions
Data center proposals are increasingly evaluated against grid capacity, clean-power availability, water supply, wastewater systems, emissions, and environmental impacts. Massachusetts has formalized these requirements, while Oregon reports water-data gaps and scarcity concerns and Ohio’s proposed water and utility rules remain unsettled.
Stable
Key Numbers
three years
proposed pause on creation of new large data centers
“Four Democratic lawmakers also announced plans to propose legislation in 2027 pausing the creation of new large data centers in Oregon for three years.”
25 megawatts
peak electricity demand threshold
“Under the executive order, data center projects with peak electricity demand exceeding 25 megawatts must demonstrate compliance with the administration’s framework to obtain permits.”
more than $400 million USD
tax breaks received by Oregon data centers
“Oregon data centers have received hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks, including more than $400 million in 2026.”
10 buildings
planned campus buildings
“The order could affect a multibillion-dollar project proposed by Servistar Realties in Westfield. The company has proposed a campus of 10 buildings constructed over a decade.”
274 megawatts
electricity requirement of proposed project
“The project would require 274 megawatts of electricity, roughly enough to power all the homes in a mid-sized city, and would be the largest data center project in New England.”
Contested Issue
Should governments manage data-center expansion through conditional permitting or impose a moratorium on new development?
The corpus documents incompatible regulatory approaches. Massachusetts is allowing covered projects to proceed if they obtain local approval and satisfy enforceable requirements for energy, water, infrastructure, and community benefits, while Oregon officials and lawmakers are pursuing pauses or broader moratoriums until additional safeguards and regulatory authority are established.
Conditional permitting
New data centers should remain eligible to proceed when they meet requirements for local approval, clean power, infrastructure capacity, water protection, cost responsibility, and community benefits.
Moratorium pending safeguards
New data-center development should be paused, potentially statewide or for multiple years, until governments establish adequate protections for water, land, electricity, taxation, infrastructure, and community impacts.
Looking Back
128 Day Timeline
May 11
Jun 1
Jun 22
Jul 16
Aug 6
Aug 27
Sep 17
The Story So Far
No material change
The newly considered articles largely repeat Massachusetts’s previously established permitting, community-benefit, grid, clean-energy, and water safeguards and do not establish a material new development.
Previously
Rapid hyperscale and AI-related data center growth is pushing states and municipalities to reassess tax incentives, require local approval, shift grid and infrastructure costs to developers, and set new conditions for power, water, environmental protection, and community benefits.
History
09/15/2026
The update emphasizes implementation of Massachusetts and Oregon restrictions and adds uncertainty over Ohio’s proposed permanent hyperscale ban. Ohio’s reported incentive-cost baseline also materially conflicts with the previous version.
09/09/2026
The story now includes concrete political and commercial pushback against data-center incentives, including an Ohio referendum effort and warnings that investment could move elsewhere. Transparency and community-benefit requirements are also moving closer to implementation through Portland’s proposed NDA restrictions and Massachusetts’s permitting framework.
All Articles126 articles
Important
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued Executive Order 658 on September 8, requiring local approval and state review before data centers can advance statewide.
9/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Massachusetts issued Executive Order 658 on September 8, 2026, requiring large data center projects statewide to secure community benefits agreements and environmental justice review before permits.
9/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey established Executive Order No. 658 on September 10, 2026, creating statewide review requirements for large data center projects in Massachusetts.
9/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Oregon Democratic lawmakers and candidates will propose a three-year moratorium on new data centers during the 2027 legislative session amid statewide concerns over resource demand and land use.
8/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and local governments supported data center moratoriums in Salem, Hillsboro, and Woodburn as residents opposed proposed developments.
8/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Oregon Democratic lawmakers and candidates plan to propose a three-year moratorium on new data centers during the 2027 legislative session amid statewide infrastructure and land use concerns.
8/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Amy Acton proposed a conditional moratorium on new Ohio data centers requiring self-paid utility costs, union labor, and brownfield siting.
7/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Ohio lawmakers failed to pass Substitute House Bill 646 before summer recess, leaving proposed data center sales tax, water, and electric rate changes unresolved.
6/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Ohio House Bill 646 stalled in the statehouse after disputes over reducing data center sales tax exemptions, power cost responsibility, and water-use tracking provisions.
6/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Ohio lawmakers advance House Bill 646 in the Senate Energy Committee to adjust future data center sales tax incentives while leaving Kasich-era contracts largely unchanged.
6/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Wynee Benedict and Otoe County officials suspended data center permits for up to a year in Nebraska after public concerns about water, power costs, and heat impacts.
5/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Otoe County Nebraska suspended permits for a new data center for up to one year on Tuesday amid resident concerns over water, power demand, and heat impacts.
5/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan are campaigning over data center subsidies and local impacts in Oregon during the 2020s gubernatorial race.
9/5/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
1000 Friends of Oregon sued Hillsboro and Washington County in June over enterprise-zone tax break approvals for 17 data center projects in Oregon.
7/24/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Conserve Ohio said a proposed Ohio constitutional restriction on large data centers missed the July 1 ballot filing deadline and will target a 2027 election.
6/21/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued a September 8, 2026 executive order requiring community benefits and impact protections for new data centers statewide, while Lowell residents continue reporting pollution and noise concerns.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an order Tuesday requiring local approval and new energy safeguards for data centers seeking state permits across Massachusetts.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek immediately paused unapproved state property transactions for new data centers statewide through July 1, 2027.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order Tuesday requiring data centers statewide to obtain local approval and meet infrastructure and ratepayer protections before state permitting.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed Executive Order 658 on September 8, requiring large data centers statewide to satisfy community, energy, water, and ratepayer protections before receiving state permits.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order requiring data centers above 25 megawatts to obtain local approval and meet energy and community requirements statewide.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek ordered state agencies in Salem to pause unapproved data center requests involving state-owned property through July 1, 2027, as lawmakers examine power, water, and community impacts.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
Cynthia Mendes and Mireille Bejjani urged Massachusetts officials in a recent op-ed to prioritize environmental justice and community participation in data-center decisions statewide.
8/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
A petition urged Oregon leaders in 2024 to support a statewide data center development moratorium, citing Hillsboro substation costs, water use, and tax-abatement impacts on schools.
5/24/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Oregon residents, city councils, and state officials challenged data center projects in 2020s communities across Oregon through protests, moratoriums, and proposed development restrictions over land, power, water, and environmental concerns.
8/6/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
New Albany officials told an Ohio legislative committee that Meta's Beech Road campus and other buildouts are creating construction jobs and tax revenue as opposition and nondisclosure concerns grow statewide.
6/8/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Portland City Council's permitting committee advanced a nondisclosure agreement prohibition for data center development on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon.
9/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Otoe County commissioners in Nebraska suspended data center permits for up to a year on May 19 to assess water, power, and heat impacts.
5/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Hill County, Texas, approved a one-year moratorium on new data center and energy storage projects after community testimony raised water and quality-of-life concerns.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Harlingen, Texas city commissioners approved a 120-day moratorium on data center applications while planning environmental and utility-impact reviews.
5/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Gov. Maura Healey said Massachusetts will keep paused sales- and use-tax exemptions for qualified data centers until statewide protections address resident impacts and environmental requirements.
7/12/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Gov. Maura Healey required Massachusetts data center developers to obtain local approval and address energy, environmental, and community impacts statewide.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Ohio officials and Senator Bernie Moreno are revisiting data center incentives in 2026 as subsidy changes threaten construction planning across Ohio and neighboring markets.
9/14/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Oregon residents and officials challenged proposed and operating data centers across Hillsboro, Hood River, Salem, La Pine, and eastern Oregon during 2025 over electricity, water, land use, and local control.
8/24/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Human First Advocacy coordinated a Columbus, Georgia protest against proposed hyperscale data center construction in Muscogee County on Saturday morning.
7/19/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Sunbury and Pataskala residents in Ohio collect signatures for charter amendments to cap data centers above 25 MW peak load, aligning with a Conserve Ohio statewide effort.
6/26/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Jessica Adams Baker and other rural Ohio residents collect signatures for a July 1 ballot deadline to restrict data centers above 25 megawatts as the Ohio Joint Data Center Committee holds public testimony in Columbus.
6/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Hillsboro, Oregon city leaders held a work session and council discussion on data center enterprise zone tax exemptions, water concerns, and a June 6 state moratorium.
6/2/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Ohio residents testified on June 1 before the Select Committee on Data Centers, urging a statewide moratorium over water use, energy demand, and rural land impacts.
6/1/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Ohio residents will testify at a Monday Statehouse hearing on Select Committee on Data Centers findings while lawmakers debate overriding Gov. DeWine's veto of an elimination of the data center sales tax exemption.
5/31/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Hillsboro community members rallied on May 16 to oppose rapid data center construction tied to enterprise zone tax breaks and to press for stronger oversight before a June 6, 2026 moratorium.
5/16/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Hillsboro City Council meeting Tuesday drew over 200 residents opposing enterprise zone tax exemptions for proposed data center developments ahead of a June 6 state moratorium.
6/4/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Harlingen City Commission approved a 120-day moratorium for data-center ordinance research and public hearings in Texas, with no current proposed projects inside city limits.
5/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Ohio lawmakers abandoned House Bill 646 on June 10 after sales tax exemption disputes amid rising rural opposition to data centers.
6/21/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio legislators formed a bipartisan commission in 2025 to review over 200 data centers, as Senate Bill 374 targets ending a high-cost data-center sales-tax exemption.
5/30/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine paused new data center tax incentive offers as opposition to hyperscale development increased and lawmakers began an impact study.
5/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
During Oregon's gubernatorial contest, Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan are disputing data-center incentives, utility costs, and local siting authority across the state.
8/31/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
DHM Research reported that Oregon voters broadly oppose new artificial intelligence data center tax breaks and support a temporary construction moratorium as state officials review industry impacts statewide.
8/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Massachusetts lawmakers advanced S.3143 in the Senate to restrict data centers through clean energy, water standards, public reporting, and tax-exemption consequences after local bans in Holyoke and others.
7/12/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
On June 22, plaintiffs sued Hillsboro and Washington County over Enterprise Zone tax abatements tied to 17 Oregon data center applications.
7/2/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced a pause on data center sales and use tax exemption applications and issued siting guidance tied to clean energy and environmental and water protections.
6/29/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a pause on accepting data center sales and use tax exemption applications while state guidance increases energy and water protections.
6/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey halted applications for 20-year data center sales and use tax exemptions, linking future approval to protections against higher energy bills and water-related environmental impacts.
6/27/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a pause on accepting new data center tax exemption applications while issuing a framework for clean energy, water and air safeguards.
6/25/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a pause on data center sales tax exemption applications and issued a responsible development framework to protect residents, ratepayers, and public health.
6/25/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey paused new data center sales tax exemption applications and issued a framework defining energy, water, public health, and community expectations.
6/25/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Gov. Maura Healey in Massachusetts announced a data center guidance framework and a temporary halt to tax breaks tied to clean energy, grid and water upgrade costs, and community protections.
6/25/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Pennsylvania lawmakers advanced House Bill 2198 and related measures to repeal data center equipment tax refunds and move toward GRID-based permitting and possible municipal pauses.
6/25/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Oregon formed a Data Center Advisory Committee in 2020s to review tax breaks after Meta, Amazon, and other operators expanded data centers amid AI demand and local opposition.
6/24/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Activists filed a Washington County Circuit Court lawsuit in Oregon challenging Hillsboro and county enterprise zone tax breaks for 17 data center projects.
6/23/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
A nonprofit coalition sued Hillsboro and Washington County in Washington County Circuit Court over alleged improper enterprise zone property tax breaks for 17 data centers before a June 6 state moratorium.
6/23/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
1000 Friends of Oregon sued the City of Hillsboro in Washington County Circuit Court over tax abatements for 17 enterprise zone data center applications.
6/22/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio officials and lawmakers questioned long-term sales tax exemptions for data centers after revenue-loss estimates rose from incentive projections.
6/14/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio lawmakers abandoned House Bill 646 on data-center regulation after House objections to extending a sales and use tax break before summer recess.
6/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio officials approved sales tax exemptions for 18 data-center projects, while lawmakers planned a June 10 vote to cap future breaks at 50% and add water and electricity oversight.
6/10/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Senate Energy Committee members revised HB 646 to reduce future data center sales tax incentives and require a PUCO data center rate class.
6/9/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered DCEO to pause new Data Center Investment Program agreements starting July 1, 2026.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
JB Pritzker ordered Illinois to pause July 1 processing for the Data Center Investment Program to review incentive impacts on consumer costs and environmental effects.
6/5/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker will pause July 1 processing of data center tax incentive applications to develop reforms on electricity, water, and community impacts.
6/5/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine paused new data center tax exemption requests in 2026 while a legislative committee studies energy, environmental, and local impacts.
6/4/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio lawmakers launched hearings for a data center committee in Ohio to review power cost allocation, grid capacity constraints, and water and wastewater permitting impacts.
6/1/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio will suspend a data center sales tax exemption after state reports show costs surged in 2024 and 2025, as local opposition grows toward a hyperscale ban.
5/31/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio lawmakers started data center committee hearings on June 1 public comment, focusing on utility cost allocation, grid strain, and water permitting oversight.
5/30/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine paused new data center tax-break offers while residents advanced a November referendum to permanently ban hyperscale construction statewide.
5/30/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pauses new data center tax exemption requests while a legislative committee reviews economic, electrical grid, and environmental effects.
5/29/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine paused new data-center tax incentive offers in 2025 amid rising utilization and local opposition, while a ballot referendum targets a hyperscale ban.
5/29/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio paused new data center tax-exemption grants in 2024-2025 planning while lawmakers studied impacts amid rising fiscal costs and a potential November hyperscale ban referendum.
5/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Gov. Mike DeWine paused new Ohio data center sales tax exemptions while a General Assembly Select Committee studies data center growth after reported revenue losses exceeded estimates.
5/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced a June 1 moratorium on the data center sales tax exemption while Ohio and Pennsylvania consider conditional standards amid grid and water pressure.
5/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine paused new data center sales and use tax exemptions after the Joint Data Center Study Committee first met, starting Monday proposal intake suspension.
5/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio officials approved a $42.3 million sales tax exemption for Cologix data centers in Delaware and Licking counties near Columbus.
5/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Ohio will pause new data center tax exemption requests in 2026 after a nearly $1.6 billion 2025 cost estimate.
5/27/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Mike DeWine directed the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to pause new data center sales and use tax exemption requests while the Joint Data Center Committee studies growth impacts.
5/27/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and state lawmakers are pursuing stricter data center rules as large facilities increase grid costs and community concerns across Massachusetts.
9/7/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced data center guidance that halts tax breaks and requires clean energy, developer-funded grid and water upgrades, and health and environmental safeguards.
6/26/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker paused data-center tax incentives after legislative delays, following utility bill and community water and energy cost concerns.
6/6/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio lawmakers held initial hearings for a data center committee on power-cost allocation, PJM reliability concerns, and water and wastewater oversight as new capacity is planned.
5/29/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
A Portland City Council committee advanced a resolution Tuesday discouraging broad data center nondisclosure agreements in Portland, Oregon, as state officials consider longer development pauses.
9/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Portland City Council committee members advanced a public-transparency resolution and possible hyperscale data center restrictions ahead of the council's September 9 meeting in Portland, Oregon.
9/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
In Hillsboro, Oregon, city council conflict over data center tax incentive scrutiny led councilors to seek censure or resignation of a livestreaming member.
6/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Ohio lawmakers questioned Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft representatives in June 2026 on NDAs, local control, tax incentives, and electric and water usage for data center projects.
6/5/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Ohio lawmakers heard hours of public testimony on Monday for the Joint Data Center Committee, including opposition citing electricity and water demands and later invited hyperscaler testimony.
6/1/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Massachusetts released a statewide data center framework on expectations for power, water, and permitting, while temporarily pausing applications for the state sales and use tax exemption.
7/2/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Alliance City Council held a public hearing as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced an indefinite pause on new data center sales tax exemptions on May 27.
6/27/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
In Ohio, a Buckeye Institute and National Taxpayers Union report ties data center expansion to utility and siting reforms while citing emerging statewide and municipal construction moratoriums.
6/18/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio lawmakers enacted a 2011 data-center tax incentive signed by John R. Kasich, later estimated to exceed $1.5 billion in 2025 tax revenue losses.
6/14/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Greg R. Lawson testified in Ohio before the Select Committee on Data Centers, recommending maintenance of sales tax exemptions and greater transparency on local tax abatements under Ohio House Bill 646.
6/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio taxation estimates raised expected costs for data center sales tax exemptions, and Governor Mike DeWine paused new requests to review grid and water accountability.
6/9/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, Republican challenger Christine Drazan, and state lawmakers debated data-center growth and possible restrictions across Oregon during the 2026 election cycle.
8/28/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek's data center advisory committee declined this week to recommend a statewide moratorium and will prepare oversight and energy policy proposals for the 2027 legislative session.
8/6/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek plans statewide data-center legislation during the 2027 session after Salem and other communities considered temporary moratoriums.
8/21/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday that a statewide data center construction tax break will remain frozen through next year as gubernatorial candidates debate new facility regulations before November's election.
8/6/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio lawmakers failed to agree on data center tax incentive reforms during the 2020s legislative session, delaying changes after Gov. Mike DeWine paused sales tax exemptions.
6/8/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio data center developers increased lobbying and Connected Ohio Facebook ads as Governor Mike DeWine paused new sales-tax credits after 2025 revenue losses.
6/2/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Oregon residents, advocacy groups, and Governor Tina Kotek urged the Oregon Legislature to pause large-scale data center development during a rally at the State Capitol in Salem.
9/8/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Oregon's governor-appointed data center advisory committee released preliminary oversight findings and requested public comments statewide amid concerns about water, electricity, land, and tax incentives.
9/16/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told data center opponents in Salem that she supports legislative action to halt new projects until environmental, land, and water protections are established.
9/8/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Additional
Ohio lawmakers questioned Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft at a June 2026 data-center committee hearing while leaving unanswered questions about NDAs and electricity and water use.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey paused data center tax incentives in 2026 and released a framework focused on energy cost protections, pollution mitigation, and water safeguards for communities.
6/25/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Conserve Ohio missed the July 1 signatures deadline for an Ohio constitutional ban on data centers above 25 MW per month and will pursue a 2027 ballot.
6/22/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio organizers will not place a statewide ban on new large-scale data centers on the current ballot after collecting about 70,000 signatures.
6/21/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Conserve Ohio delays an Ohio constitutional amendment targeting most modern data centers to the 2027 ballot after missing a July 1 filing deadline.
6/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Conserve Ohio is targeting a 2027 ballot instead of the November election after missing Ohio’s July 1 signature deadline for a constitutional amendment limiting new data centers above 25 MW peak load.
6/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Conserve Ohio, an Ohio grassroots group, shifted a proposed constitutional ban on large data center construction from the 2026 November ballot to a 2027 ballot target.
6/19/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Governors in Ohio and Illinois are linked to 2026 moves as multiple US states consider rolling back data-center tax incentives amid energy costs and public opposition.
6/12/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio political discussion highlights decades-long sales tax exemptions signed from 2014 to 2018 for Amazon, Meta, and Google data center development.
6/12/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Senate legislation introduced by Rep. Tristan Rader would block new data-center sales tax exemptions statewide after Gov. Mike DeWine paused requests.
6/10/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Food and Water Watch contests Adams County, Ohio incentive plans for Amazon Project Galaxy, citing CRA property tax reductions, PILOT structures, and transparency concerns.
6/8/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio lawmakers questioned Meta, Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft on nondisclosure agreements, water and air claims, and electricity rate impacts during a data center committee hearing.
6/8/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio Senate and House committee members held a public hearing with county commissioners and stakeholders to study energy and environmental impacts of data centers.
6/8/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio leaders reacted to a data center tax exemption pause as EnergiAcres advanced early planning near Mansfield Lahm Airport and Richland County officials assessed local approval needs.
6/1/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine paused new data-center tax incentives while Ohio lawmakers study impacts and residents pursue a statewide hyperscale ban referendum.
5/31/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Hillsboro, Oregon paused new data-center tax-break applications May 7 ahead of an Oregon moratorium beginning June 6, 2026.
5/13/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Hillsboro, Oregon city councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair asked the mayor to convene an emergency session over data center enterprise zone tax breaks after rapid application filings.
5/11/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Oregon's data center task force issued a preliminary report recommending greater transparency and environmental safeguards statewide while retaining local siting authority and declining to endorse a moratorium.
9/12/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio's Joint Data Center Committee began testimony hearings on June planning for new data center policy while Gov. Mike DeWine paused future tax exemptions.
5/31/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General