Texas Group Launches Ohio Push to Defend Landowners Selling to Data Centers
A Texas property-rights group has launched a campaign in Ohio supporting landowners who want to sell or develop property for data centers. The campaign comes as Ohio communities impose moratoriums, reject projects and consider broader bans amid concerns about noise, water use, energy demand and environmental impacts.
The Private Property Rights Institute, led by president Charlie Kolean, has launched its Buildout America campaign to promote data center development and property owners' rights in Ohio and five other states. The group plans to engage lawmakers and argue that landowners and communities should weigh the economic benefits of data centers, including tax revenue, construction jobs and investment, alongside local concerns.
Ohio has seen widespread resistance to data center expansion. Communities have enacted or considered moratoriums and bans, while groups including Conserve Ohio pursue local and statewide restrictions. Residents have raised concerns about noise near Google's Lancaster-area facility, and studies project substantial water demand associated with data centers and the energy generation needed to power them. Cleveland rejected a proposed $1.6 billion hyperscale facility after an initial zoning review and approved a three-month moratorium, while the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Lordstown did not have to review a proposed site plan while its moratorium remained in effect.