Join us for our next monthly working group meeting on Tuesday, July 14th from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Ohio ranks 5th nationally for data centers, with over 200 built and 77 more planned or approved. Significant community pushback against data centers has developed on the local and state levels, as Ohioans are increasingly concerned with the vast amount of land, energy and water they consume. These energy demands are resulting in the construction of new gas plants to power data centers, which in turn is driving unprecedented fracking of Ohio state parks and public lands.
We will be joined by representatives from Save Ohio Parks for a discussion of their recently released report, "From Demand Drivers to Development Partners: Data Centers that Work for Ohioans." Their presentation will cover the environmental and social justice concerns related to data center energy use, and how data centers could be powered differently while providing benefits to the communities where they are based. Several recommendations are made for actions that can be taken by local officials and for needed changes to state laws.
This presentation will provide new perspectives on how to manage the data center buildout in Ohio.
Speakers:
Cathy Cowan Becker is board president for Save Ohio Parks, a citizen-led nonprofit that works to protect Ohio's state parks, wildlife areas, and public lands from oil and gas extraction. Cathy is also the Responsible Finance Campaign Director at Green America, where she creates tools and educational materials that help people use their banking, credit cards, property insurance, and investing to build a more sustainable and equitable world.
Rachel Kutzley is a Save Ohio Parks board member and the lead researcher on the data center report. After a career in foreign policy, Rachel moved back home to Ohio and earned a master’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources from OSU. She is now focused on working to accelerate the clean energy transition and protect public lands in Ohio.
Register by clicking the button to add the event to your calendar or simply join us directly using this zoom link.