St. Marys City Council Proposes Data Center Moratorium; Ohio Governor Pauses Tax Exemptions
St. Marys city councilors introduced an emergency resolution for a 12-month moratorium on data center development within city limits, prompted by resident concerns over water consumption and power outages. This local action coincides with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's directive to pause data center tax exemption requests statewide for review.
St. Marys city councilors introduced an emergency resolution to impose a 12-month moratorium on data center establishment or conversion within city limits. This move followed concerns raised by resident Dakota Humphrey regarding high water consumption, potential power outages, and data privacy.
Simultaneously, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced he has directed the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to pause consideration of new data center tax exemption requests. This pause will allow the Ohio General Assembly's Joint Data Center Committee to study the impact of data center growth in the state. Ohio currently ranks fifth nationally with approximately 200 data centers, including projects by Google in Lima, Amazon in Sidney, and Thor Equities in Van Wert.
Despite a safety service director noting that a data center in St. Marys is unlikely due to limited acreage, the city's credible water supply could attract developers. The St. Marys resolution will undergo its second reading at the next city council meeting, while officials from nearby Van Wert County are preparing for their own data center development at a local Megasite.