Froma Harrop: Big Tech's ugly data centers finally meet opposition

Residents in Wilmington, Ohio, are expressing strong opposition to a proposed 2-million-square-foot data center project by Amazon Web Services on 500 acres of former farmland. The community, characterized as a Republican region with modest incomes, is concerned about the impact on their quality of life, despite proponents, including JobsOhio, highlighting the creation of up to 100 full-time jobs and $35 million in public infrastructure improvements. Locals view the '100 jobs' figure as modest and question the necessity of infrastructure upgrades without the data center. The local controversy in southwestern Ohio reflects a growing national trend where rural communities, often with cheap land and state tax incentives, are pushing back against large-scale tech developments. Examples include Wisconsin voters implementing ballot measures to control data center incentives and Maine enacting a law to halt large data center construction for over a year. The article critiques the approach of 'super-rich' tech companies, citing Jeff Bezos's preference for low-density living while planning massive facilities in rural areas, and dismisses his suggestion of outer space data centers as a distraction. Former President Donald Trump's stance in favor of 'colossal data centers' and expedited permits is also noted. While data centers' energy demands could potentially raise local electricity rates, this might be offset by tax revenues. The overarching argument is that decisions on such projects should consider values beyond just the local cost of living and allow affected human beings a say in the development process.