300MW data center proposed for Pierce Township near Beckjord despite moratorium

Crane Data Centers, a San Francisco-based company, has proposed a 300-megawatt data center in Pierce Township, Ohio, on 300 acres of wooded hillside. The proposal includes three large buildings and a new substation to connect to the Duke Energy transmission system.

However, the project faces significant hurdles as Pierce Township has an extended moratorium on data centers through February 2027. Pierce Township Board of Trustees Chairman Allen Freeman stated that the township is not currently entertaining any data center proposals, including Crane's, as the zoning commission is still working to establish new regulations and guardrails for such facilities. Freeman emphasized the community's desire to protect its green space and expressed concerns about water usage, noise, and power consumption.

Crane Data Centers had initially considered the site of the former Walter C. Beckjord Generating Station, but discovered ongoing contamination issues related to coal ash remediation, which is the subject of a Notice of Intent to Sue by the Clermont County Board of Commissioners. The company is now eyeing an industrially zoned site adjacent to U.S. 52. Crane claims its data centers are sustainable, featuring closed-loop cooling, on-site solar, rainwater harvesting, and sound-absorbing enclosures. Despite these features, Freeman remains cautious, encouraging residents to participate in upcoming zoning commission meetings on October 6 where data center restrictions will be discussed.