In the second of our series on Ohio's data center boom, Innovation Ohio examines how a little-known feature of state law is stripping communities of their voice over the power plants being built to serve data centers, and what the next governor can do about it.

The Problem: When a community approves a data center, it has no idea it may also be opening the door, and as Ohio law is written, a trap door, to a power plant that will ultimately be reviewed and approved not by local officials, but by a state board operating on a timeline that favors the developer.

What Happened in Hilliard: Amazon Web Services used an accelerated state approval process to site a 228-unit natural gas fuel cell array, the largest of its kind in the United States, next to an elementary school, without a city vote. Residents are now fighting parallel permitting battles across multiple state agencies, each with its own limited comment window.

The Double Standard: A solar farm in a rural county can be blocked by a county commissioner. A gas plant next to a school cannot be stopped by anyone at the local level.

What Ohio Should Do: The next governor has the power to change this: through appointments, executive direction, and by championing legislation to close the gaps recent legislation made worse.

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This is the second in our series. Read the first report, Data Centers, Ohio's Electric Grid, and Your Power Bill, here.