Ohio Communities to Vote on Data Center Bans in November Election
Voters in 18 Ohio municipalities and townships will decide on the future of data centers in their communities during the upcoming November election. These ballot initiatives stem from growing local opposition to the construction of large data centers, driven by concerns over energy consumption, environmental impact, and perceived lack of local control. Nine of these petitions, in cities like Conneaut, Defiance, and Piqua, aim to ban data centers that consume over 25 megawatts of energy per month. Conserve Ohio, an advocacy group, is organizing these efforts and also pursuing a statewide petition for the 2027 ballot after missing a signature deadline for the current election cycle. Local organizers, such as Alisha Lange in Piqua, became politically active due to health issues linked to a battery plant and are now leading efforts against data centers, including recall petitions for local officials and changes to city agreements.
