Proposed amendment to ban huge data centers in Ohio can move to next step

Attorney General Dave Yost has certified a petition for a proposed amendment that seeks to ban future construction of data centers in Ohio exceeding 25 megawatts of monthly power consumption. This certification allows the initiative to advance to the Ohio Ballot Board, which will determine if it constitutes a single ballot issue before proponents can begin collecting signatures. Austin Baurichter, an attorney from Georgetown in Brown County and a co-writer of the petition, expressed optimism about reaching this stage, stating that the group, Ohio Residents for Responsible Development, is prepared for the next phase. They aim to gather 413,487 valid signatures from half of Ohio's 88 counties by July 1, expecting to collect closer to 700,000 to account for invalidations. The residents, primarily from rural counties, emphasize the need for Ohioans' voices to be heard on the issue. The data center industry, represented by Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition, argues that such an amendment would place Ohio at a "very competitive disadvantage" and deter development. Diorio noted that several Ohio communities have already enacted moratoriums on data centers, suggesting this effectively closes them off to future development. The secretary of state's office has not yet scheduled a date for the Ohio Ballot Board to review the amendment proposal.