Big Tech’s data centers finally meet opposition

Residents in the southwestern Ohio town of Wilmington are voicing strong opposition to a proposed 2-million-square-foot data center development by Amazon Web Services. The project, which would include nine buildings on approximately 500 acres of former farmland, faces resistance from locals who fear it will disrupt their rural lifestyle, despite promises of up to 100 full-time jobs and $35 million in public infrastructure improvements. Critics argue that these benefits are minimal compared to the potential impact on the community and question the necessity of the infrastructure upgrades without the data center. The article highlights that this pushback is not isolated to Ohio but is a growing sentiment in rural communities across the U.S., where land is cheap and local officials may be perceived as too lenient on "economic development." Concerns include the potential for increased local electricity rates due to the data centers' high energy demands, although this could be offset by tax revenues. The piece also points to broader legislative efforts, such as Wisconsin voters passing ballot measures to regulate data center incentives and Maine enacting a law to halt large data center construction for over a year. Political figures like former President Donald Trump are noted for advocating for rapid data center development, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has humorously suggested placing data centers in outer space.