Build Central OH

08/27/2026

FOX Business' Jeff Flock reports on the partnerships between tech giants like Google and unions to train the next generation of electricians to wire up massive AI data centers.

08/27/2026

Join President Pro Tem Rob Dorans and the Central Ohio Labor Council for Organizing Columbus: A Labor Day Celebration and Panel.

Hear from hardworking Columbus residents who have organized and unionized their workplaces in recent years and learn more about the labor movement in our city.

Register to attend: https://tinyurl.com/5n622vpb

08/21/2026

Ninety-two percent of construction firms report having a hard time finding qualified workers, reinforcing the importance of the continued recruitment, training, and development for the next generation of tradespeople in Ohio.

08/21/2026

Electricians like data centers. Here’s why you should, too.

08/06/2026

If you’re looking for a career in the Building Trades - go to our website
columbusconstruction.org

The sale of two Springfield automotive facilities will lead to the largest layoff the state of Ohio has seen in the past five years, with more than 1,300 affected employees.

07/26/2026

Had a great conversation with President of City Council Shannon Hardin on creating more pathways for members of the Columbus community in the Union trades!

07/07/2026

Across the United States, Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) is seeing enthusiasm for the skilled trades gain momentum — with governments increasingly focused on investing in career and technical education and on establishing new training initiatives.

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July from the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council!

This Independence Day, we not only celebrate our country’s 250th birthday, but we celebrate the freedom, opportunity and pride that come with being part of the greatest nation on earth — and one of its greatest industries. The buildings, roads and structures that define our communities did not build themselves. They were built by skilled tradespeople who showed up every day and gave their best.

To our entire trades community — enjoy the fireworks, the family time and the well-earned rest. You have built something worth celebrating.

Happy Fourth of July!

06/26/2026

The AI race is not going away; we see the uses of technology expanding every day.

This new issue brief on Ohio argues that the bottleneck to powering AI isn't money or engineering — it's the years it takes to navigate permitting before a single megawatt comes online. Ohio's HB 15 attacked the parts a state actually controls:

-"Shot clock" deadlines so siting boards can't deliberate indefinitely

-Clear legal authority for behind-the-meter generation (onsite power in 12–18 months)

-Brownfield siting incentives

-Grid capacity heat maps so developers stop wasting months on unviable sites

The payoff was almost immediate: $4B in investment and 2+ GW of approved behind-the-meter power within months. The lesson for every other state: you don't need a technological breakthrough. You need political will.

View PDF I. Introduction As the global race for artificial intelligence (AI) hastens, data centers are driving unprecedented demand growth for electric power. Projections show data centers consuming nearly 10% of total U.S. electricity by 2030, a near fourfold increase from 2023 levels. Goldman Sach...