Ohio’s House of Representatives seems to have a sense of urgency in digging into the question of data centers in the state. Having already passed House Bill 646, which would create a data center study commission, lawmakers also are launching a bipartisan joint data center committee.

HB 646 now sits in the state Senate committee. But while those details are worked out, the new committee will invite data center workers, residents and even companies such as Google and Meta to testify, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal.

Leading the committee will be co-chairs Rep. Adam Holmes, R-Nashport, and Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta.

Chavez is no doubt hearing plenty of reason back home to find out as much as possible about data centers.

In fact, he told the Capital Journal the first two meetings will be May 27 and 28, with at least one per week planned after that.

“We’re going to go until we get to a natural breaking point, and then we’ll let the information disseminate,” he told the Capital Journal. “We intend to get this information out to council trustees, county commissioners, mayors and concerned citizens. We want to make sure that folks are able to get information and be able to have critical conversations with the relevant information.”

Holmes told the Capital Journal that representatives of Google and Meta are eager to testify.

“I think they have a message they want to broadcast on exactly how they’re handling concerns,” he said.

Given that Ohio already has the fifth-most data centers in the country, Buckeye State residents will expect from the committee that it includes THEIR experiences and concerns in their information-finding mission, too.

“We definitely think that it’s important that we address some of the policy issues and safety issues, the environmental issues and local-control issues around data centers,” said state Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood.

Good. Provided all elected officials carry out their responsibilities on this committee without preconceived ideas or agendas, it sounds as though the committee will be more nimble in helping citizens get answers than the commission might be.

Eleven states are looking at legislation that would temporarily ban data centers. While we have passed that point in Ohio, there is some reason other states have been hesitant. It is essential lawmakers get a handle on what is the best path forward — for all of us.