Daily Digest — April 19, 2026
Ohio Residents Launch Statewide Ballot Petition to Cap Data Center Power Use
Residents in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties are organizing against a proposed Bitdeer data center on Belmont Avenue in Niles, according to WFMJ. Approximately 200 signatures were collected at a recent event as part of a statewide ballot initiative that would amend the Ohio Constitution to ban data centers requiring more than 25 megawatts of power per month. Organizers need 600,000 signatures across 44 counties to qualify for the November ballot.
Bitdeer, a Singapore-based company, has requested the Niles City Council to partially annex a portion of Weatherfield to allow the project to proceed. In response to public concerns about air quality, water, noise, and power grid impacts, 2nd Ward Councilman Aaron Johnstone proposed a six-month moratorium on any votes related to the project. The Niles City Council is scheduled to vote on the moratorium after a hearing on May 20.
Separately, residents in Trenton, Ohio, are opposing a 220,000-square-foot, 250-megawatt data center approved by the Trenton Planning Commission, as reported by WCPO 9. The developer, Prologis, says the project would create 140 jobs and generate $120,000 annually in city utility fees. Residents have launched a petition drive seeking 20,000 signatures in Butler County and 413,000 statewide to support the proposed constitutional ban.
Northwest Georgia Communities Debate Data Center Growth Amid Transparency Concerns
A series by the Rome News-Tribune examines the growing controversy over data center construction in Northwest Georgia, as reported by the publication. Floyd County has three approved data center sites:
- A 347-acre Microsoft facility on Huffaker Road
- A 178-acre project on Plainville Road
- A 114-acre development known as the Coosa Project
The city of Rome also sold the 100-acre former Battey Business Complex for data center use through the Rome-Floyd Development Authority. In Coweta County, residents are opposing "Project Sail," a $17 billion hyperscale data center joint venture between Atlas Development and Prologis.
Resident opposition centers on perceived lack of transparency in deal negotiations, skepticism about promised property tax reductions, and concerns about water and electricity demands. Floyd County Commissioner Scotty Hancock has advocated for data centers as a path to property tax relief, suggesting a moratorium might be appropriate only after initial facilities demonstrate tax benefits. Georgia Power's request to generate an additional 10 gigawatts of power, primarily for data centers, has raised concerns among residential ratepayers about potential cost increases.
Pennsylvania House Passes Data Center Regulatory Bills
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed two bills — HB 2150 and HB 2151 — aimed at regulating the state's data center industry, according to the Hazleton Standard Speaker. The legislation responds to a surge of data center proposals in Lackawanna County that have generated local opposition.
Key provisions:
- **HB 2150** (Rep. Kyle Mullins): Requires annual reporting from data centers on water and energy consumption, with a $10,000/day penalty for non-compliance. Also directs DEP and the PUC to publish annual reports on statewide data center consumption trends and environmental impacts.
- **HB 2151** (Rep. Kyle Donahue): Establishes an optional model data center zoning ordinance for municipalities. Explicitly preserves local control.
- **HB 1834** (passed House): Directs the PUC to create a regulatory framework prohibiting utilities from passing certain data center interconnection costs to customers and requiring large facilities to contribute to a low-income energy assistance program.
- **HB 2359**: Would ban non-disclosure agreements between government agencies and data centers.
Additional legislation under consideration would allow municipalities to enact 180-day moratoriums on data center applications. The State Senate is also weighing a statewide three-year moratorium. The Data Center Coalition, representing Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, has expressed opposition to the legislative package.
Surry County, NC Officials Say Large Data Centers Unlikely for Their Area
Officials in Surry County and Mount Airy, North Carolina, are assuring residents that large-scale data centers are not feasible for the area, according to reflector.com. Blake Moyer, President of the Surry Economic Development Partnership, said the county generally lacks the capacity and suitable land, identifying only one potential site near an electrical substation in the Elkin area.
Mount Airy Mayor Jon Cawley noted that a smaller data storage center operated by Phoenix Industries has been running in the city's Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park since 2020–2021 without incident. Both officials referenced the controversy in neighboring Stokes County, where a proposed nearly 2,000-acre Project Delta Data Center prompted a lawsuit after the Board of Commissioners voted to rezone the property for heavy industrial use, leading commissioners to vote to restart the development process.
