Sherrod Brown shifts stance on data centers as power-cost politics heat up in Ohio Senate race

Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown — who is running as the Democratic nominee for an Ohio Senate seat in the 2026 general election — has shifted his public posture on data centers, moving from praise for local investment to criticism focused on their energy use and the effects on consumers’ electric bills.

What Brown said and how his view changed

Campaign materials and past records show Brown celebrated a data center opening in central Ohio in 2015, saying the facility was “great news for New Albany and central Ohio” and highlighting job opportunities tied to Amazon’s expansion, according to archival campaign documents cited in reporting. But in recent campaign videos Brown has cast data centers as corporate actors that “gobbl[e] up energy” and “rig the system,” arguing they raise electricity prices and do not pay enough for the costs they impose on their host communities. He has said he would “require the data centers to pay the full cost of their own electricity — not you,” language the campaign has used to frame his shift.

Political and policy context

Brown’s shift reflects a broader Democratic engagement with concerns about the rapid growth of data centers nationwide and the local impacts of large-scale computing facilities. Lawmakers and activists have raised questions about whether data centers materially increase utility rates, strain water supplies, or are subsidized through tax incentives and other policy choices.

At the federal level, Democrats are debating concrete fiscal responses. Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden released a draft white paper in August 2026 that recommends removing tax incentives for data center construction and imposing an excise-style gross receipts tax on large data center operators or hyperscalers whose workloads primarily handle AI compute. Wyden framed that proposal as a way to recapture revenue and help communities and workers affected by rapid data center buildup. The proposal would exempt many facilities built before 2024 and targets the largest actors, while explicitly soliciting public comments before moving to legislative text.

Ohio’s incentives and local debates

Ohio has been a focal point for data center development. State law enacted in 2013 created tax exemptions for “computer data center equipment,” with the Ohio Tax Credit Authority empowered to approve exemptions for sizable investments. That policy has attracted investment but, according to the Ohio 2026-2027 Tax Expenditure Report cited in reporting, resulted in an estimated $1.6 billion in foregone revenue in 2025. Those fiscal impacts — and debates over who should shoulder the costs of higher electricity or water demand — are central to Brown’s messaging in the statewide race.

How Democrats are making the issue political

Democratic campaigns and some lawmakers have increasingly tied data center siting and incentives to pocketbook issues, including affordability and utility costs. In addition to Wyden’s draft tax framework, other Democrats have pushed different remedies: Sen. Bernie Sanders has called for a moratorium on new data center construction pending more study, and several members have sought to highlight perceived corporate subsidies and local burdens as a campaign issue.

Party-level strategy appears to include pressing concerns that resonate with voters worried about rising costs for housing, food and fuel. Brown’s turn on data centers — from celebrating job creation to arguing companies need to pay more for electricity — aligns with that emphasis.

What Brown has not said publicly

Reporting indicates Brown’s campaign did not respond to questions about the precise scope of his policy preferences beyond the stated requirement that data centers pay their own electricity costs. It is unclear whether he would support broader measures such as stricter limits on tax incentives, moratoria on new builds, or Wyden-style excise taxes.

Implications for the Ohio race and beyond

• Electoral: Brown has secured the Democratic nomination and will face incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the Nov. 3 general election. Data center policy is one of several issues Brown’s campaign is elevating to draw contrasts on cost-of-living concerns.
• Policy: Wyden’s draft and other Democratic proposals suggest Congress could move from debate to concrete legislation addressing tax treatment or fees on data center operators — though drafts are subject to revision and public feedback.
• Local governments and utilities: As attention increases, state and local policymakers will confront questions about permitting, incentives, and rate design to ensure new large power users contribute to grid upgrades or mitigation costs.

Open questions and areas to watch

1. Will Brown and other Democratic officials back specific federal legislation such as an excise tax or broader changes to incentive structures, or primarily pursue state-level reforms and ratepayer protections?
2. Can causation be established between data center growth and materially higher residential electricity rates in affected communities? Reporters and analysts continue to debate the size and extent of any such effects.
3. How will companies that operate data centers — including major hyperscalers and cloud providers — respond to campaigns and possible new federal or state requirements? Some industry commitments on ratepayer protections have already been discussed at the federal level.

“I’ll require the data centers to pay the full cost of their own electricity — not you,” Brown said in campaign material cited in reporting.

Brown’s change in tone illustrates how a technical, infrastructure-focused issue has migrated into electoral politics, with utility costs and local fiscal impacts providing a tangible connection to voters. As the Ohio race proceeds, the interplay between campaign positioning, state incentives, and emerging federal proposals will shape whether data centers remain a campaign flashpoint or prompt durable policy changes.