Ohio’s ratepayer protection pledge works

Originally published by the Blade

This article was co-authored by Alex Fitzsimmons, acting under secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy

Private investment is coming to Ohio in ways that the state hasn’t seen in a generation. This is not by accident, but because leaders at the Ohio Statehouse and federal partners understand the importance of economic development. Leading technology companies are pouring money into Ohio because of its tax structure, grid capacity, and land. With President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, Ohioans are benefiting from this investment through jobs and economic growth, while keeping electricity prices affordable.

Presently, Ohio ranks fifth in the nation for data centers, with more than 200 facilities operational and 77 more in the pipeline. By 2024, the industry supported nearly 95,000 jobs and contributed about $12 billion to the state’s economy. Amazon Web Services has committed $23.8 billion to this region. Every dollar the state has invested through incentives has generated roughly $2.10 in tax revenue.

On March 4, President Trump gathered the country’s biggest tech operators at the White House to sign the Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The pledge is straightforward — Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI agreed to build, bring, or buy their own generation capacity, cover the cost of grid upgrades their facilities require, and invest in their local communities.

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