Ohio Data Center Moratorium Debate and Local Actions
Local governments across southwest Ohio are debating and implementing measures to slow data center development, including moratoriums and zoning changes. This local activity is paralleled by a statewide debate between gubernatorial candidates, one proposing a conditional moratorium and the other advocating for developers to bear infrastructure costs without a ban. Citizen opposition is also active, with a ballot measure proposed in Trenton.
The debate over data center development is intensifying across Ohio, with gubernatorial candidates Dr. Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy proposing different approaches. Democrat Acton advocates for a conditional moratorium on new data centers, requiring them to cover utility costs, use union labor, meet environmental standards, and benefit local communities. Republican Ramaswamy, while agreeing developers should pay infrastructure costs, opposes a blanket moratorium, emphasizing reindustrialization and high-paying jobs.
Simultaneously, local governments throughout southwest Ohio are taking action. Clearcreek Township in Warren County, Dayton, Washington Township, Fairborn, Cincinnati, Xenia, and Butler County (covering six townships) have all enacted temporary moratoriums on data center permits or development. Dayton has gone further by permanently amending its zoning code to prohibit large-scale data centers, and Liberty Township has strengthened zoning requirements. These actions stem from concerns about electricity demands, potential impacts on utility rates, noise, environmental effects, and compatibility with residential areas. Meanwhile, in Trenton, a proposed 250-megawatt facility, Project Mila, faces significant public opposition, leading to a citizens' group gathering signatures for a November ballot measure to prohibit large data centers within city limits.
While some communities like Piqua, Springfield, and Sidney are moving forward with data center agreements, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has also intervened, approving a new rate structure for one utility that requires data centers to pay a minimum monthly customer charge for infrastructure usage.