Data Center measures on November ballots
Ohio leads the nation with 20 data center-related ballot measures this year. Residents in Sunbury, Pataskala, and Granville will vote on banning data centers exceeding 25 megawatts of power. In Grove City, voters will decide if large developments, including data centers, should require public approval, while Asheville residents will determine the fate of an EdgeConneX data center project.
Ohio is at the forefront of data center regulation in the United States, featuring 20 of the country's 38 data center-related measures on its ballots this year. NBC4 Columbus has provided a breakdown of key measures in Central Ohio.
Residents in Sunbury, Pataskala, and Granville are slated to vote on a proposed ban that would prohibit any data center using more than 25 megawatts of power from operating in their communities. Concurrently, Grove City residents will vote on Issue 28, a measure that would mandate a public vote for any large development, such as a data center, that meets a specified threshold.
In Asheville, voters face a unique proposal: they will decide whether to uphold a council decision allowing EdgeConneX to construct two data centers or to repeal that decision. Early voting for these measures begins a week from the report date, with the general election scheduled for November 3rd.