Adams County residents fear environmental and utility costs of possible data center
Residents in Adams County, Ohio, are raising concerns about a potential Amazon data center in Sprigg Township, fearing its environmental impact and increased utility costs. A grassroots organization, Conserve Ohio, is gathering signatures for a statewide constitutional amendment to ban large-scale data centers. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel is advocating for statewide data center tariffs due to rising power costs from energy-intensive data centers.
Residents of Adams County, Ohio, are expressing significant concerns regarding Amazon's consideration of a massive data center project on 1,000 acres in Sprigg Township, near the former J.M. Stuart power plant. The site, currently owned by Buck Canyon Properties, has received U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval for initial site work, including grading.
Local residents like Nikki Gerber, who operates a canoe and kayak livery, and Helen Newman, a cattle farmer and county commissioner candidate, are questioning the project's transparency, potential environmental impact, and its effect on local power bills. The proposed data center could require 1,300 megawatts of electricity, approximately 30 times Adams County's annual use, raising fears among residents who are already struggling with high electric costs. While Amazon Web Services touts 500 new jobs and a $10 billion investment, some, including the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), are skeptical of the economic benefits.
Maureen Willis, director of the OCC, highlighted that data center load growth has increased power costs by $23 billion across the PJM Interconnection grid, which serves Ohio. The OCC is advocating for statewide data center tariffs to ensure large tech companies pay their fair share for energy infrastructure. In response to these concerns, Nikki Gerber co-founded Conserve Ohio, a grassroots organization collecting signatures for a statewide constitutional amendment to ban large-scale data centers, with an aim to get it on the November 2027 ballot.
Adams County officials have not responded to WVXU's requests for comment on the project, which has been under consideration for years but only became widely known to residents in February.