In August 2017, Facebook announced plans to build a $750 million data center in New Albany, Ohio. At 900,000 square feet, it would be the largest data center project in central Ohio to date.
According to Rachel Peterson, director of data center strategy and development for Facebook, the company was attracted to Ohio because of the location, government support, livability, workforce talent and the availability of renewable energy sources. With online giants like Amazon and Facebook moving to Ohio, we are quickly becoming a new hub for data centers.
The factors that Facebook considered for the New Albany data center are frequently cited as why Ohio is a great place for business. Ohio offers one of the most favorable business climates in the country, with low business and sales taxes.
The availability and reliability of a quality power supply with renewable energy options was also a key reason why Facebook selected Ohio. AEP Ohio was proud to be part of the team that helped bring Facebook to central Ohio by offering a robust electric system. At the announcement, New Albany Mayor Sloan Spaulding said:
“I’d also like to acknowledge our partners at American Electric Power. Not only for their commitment and presence here in our community but for helping us build a state-of-the-art electric backbone and fiber optic network throughout our entire business campus.”
Ohio boasts a safe location when it comes to locating a data center, as it’s free from many natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes, which mitigates risk associated with a location decision.
Ohio is also a great central location for logistics and warehousing being located 500 miles or less from half of the U.S. population and only a one-day drive to most major East Coast and Midwest markets. Distance is important when it comes to locating a data center. Central Ohio’s location and available bandwidth reduce network latency for data center customers and cloud users in the eastern and central United States.
In addition to the future Facebook facility, there are plenty of other data centers located in Ohio, including Citibank, Expedient, Amazon and co-location data providers such as CyrusOne and Cologix.
With major players such as Facebook selecting Ohio, we’ve drawn national attention for future investment. One thing is for sure — the demand for data is going to continue to increase rapidly over the next decade and when it comes to a prime location for data centers, Ohio has a lot to offer.
I’d like to hear your thoughts — what other reasons do companies cite for locating their data centers in Ohio? What big company do you think will land in Ohio next?