An Amazon 'science fair' and quashed legislation: A busy day for debate on Trenton data centers
Amazon held an open house about its proposed 600-acre, 18-building data center project near Trenton in St. Clair and Madison townships. Residents raised concerns about water use, electricity demand, noise and pollution, while opposition to the project continues through a proposed ballot measure and a township zoning ban.
Amazon hosted a public open house at Edgewood Middle School to explain its proposed data center campus near Trenton, which would include 18 buildings across roughly 600 acres. The company said the facility could require up to one gigawatt of electrical capacity, would use no more than 378 million gallons of water annually, and would fund infrastructure upgrades tied directly to the project. Southwest Regional Water District officials said its treatment system has sufficient capacity and safeguards for the Great Miami Aquifer.
Residents and opponents, including Joe Deaton and Woodsdale and Trenton Environmental Resistance leader Barry Blankenship, said the project could strain water supplies, increase electricity costs, and create noise and pollution. The land is currently in St. Clair and Madison townships; St. Clair Township's zoning commission approved a resolution banning data centers, while Trenton has withdrawn an annexation petition and may refile depending on the outcome of a November ballot measure seeking to prohibit large-scale data centers. Trenton City Council also withdrew proposed financial incentives for residents tied to rejecting the measure and building the data centers.