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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio House Bill 710 bans public subsidies, restricts land use, and mandates utility protections for new data centers
Last action · February 25, 2026: Referred to General GovernmentSponsors: Steve Demetriou and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio House Bill 710 prohibits state and local governments from awarding tax credits, grants, loans, or other economic s to new data centers that have not yet broken ground or received local zoning approval as of the effective date. The measure bars new data centers from being constructed on , public land, or within platted residential neighborhoods, unless specific county-approval and voluntary-sale conditions are met. Additionally, the bill prohibits eminent domain takings for new data centers and requires developers to prove their operations will not raise utility rates for residential, agricultural, or small business customers.
The measure shifts financial and regulatory responsibility entirely onto data center developers by forbidding public subsidies and shifting all transmission and infrastructure costs away from residential and small business utility ratepayers. Developers face strict land-use bans unless they build offsetting nuclear or natural gas generation capacity or prove cost neutrality to utility regulators.
- State lawmakers across the United States have increasingly scrutinized the rapid expansion of large data centers due to their massive demand for electricity and water resources. context
- Ohio's General Assembly operates on a two-year session cycle, with House Bill 710 introduced during the 136th General Assembly. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
new data center developers
Developers are prohibited from receiving public incentives, restricted from building on certain land types without county approval, barred from using eminent domain, and required to fully bear all utility infrastructure costs or build dedicated generation.
residential, agricultural, and small business utility customers
Ratepayers are protected from increased electricity rates and cost-shifting associated with new data center energy demands through mandatory financial assurances and developer-funded infrastructure.
counties and townships
County commissioners are granted authority to adopt resolutions permitting new data centers on prime farmland, and political subdivisions must adopt complaint review procedures for incentive violations.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an existing data center continue operating or receive incentives under this bill?
Under what conditions can a new data center be built on prime farmland?
How can a data center developer prove that their facility will not increase utility rates for residents?
Does the bill allow local governments to use eminent domain to acquire land for a data center?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 25, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to General Government
- Feb 24, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Exclusion of Data Centers from Eminent Domain Public Use
The bill carves out a specific statutory exception removing data center projects from the definition of public use under eminent domain law.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz70Current news / social attention level
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