Data center development has been accelerating across the country. Resources are being made available to assist communities in preparing plans to address data centers in a thoughtful and proactive way. To learn more about these resources or questions regarding how MVRPC can support your community contact Executive Director, Brian O. Martin, AICP.
To ensure our region has access to resources to help communities make decisions related to this type of development, MVRPC held a panel discussion during our November 2026 Board of Directors meeting. This panel showcased statewide strategies surrounding data centers, provided insight on balancing growth while protecting water resources and considerations at the local level.
The panel was moderated by MVRPC Executive Director Brian O. Martin. Participants on the panel were Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr., General Manager of the Miami Conservancy District, MaryLynn Lodor and Executive Vice President of Regional Development at the Dayton Development Coalition, Julie Sullivan. The recording of this panel, presentation slides and the follow-up information can be found at the links below.
Additional Resources
Ohio Economic Development Association, Data Centers: A Plain Language Toolkit for Ohio Communities https://ohioeda.com/datacenters/
Data Center Policy, Database https://www.datacenterpolicy.com/database
National Association of Counties, Data Center Resource Hub https://www.naco.org/resource/data-centers-resource-hub
National Association of Development Organizations, Data Center Planning for EDDs & RDOs https://www.nado.org/data-center-planning-resources-for-edds-rdos/
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Local Policy Response to Data Center Development (webinar recording) https://www.aaas.org/events/local-policy-responses-data-center-development-moratoria-zoning-agreements-and-community
Environmental Health Sciences, Is it Safe to Live Near a Data Center? EMF Radiation Risks Explained https://ehsciences.org/emf-insights/data-centers-increase-electromagnetic-fields-emf-exposure/