Pataskala rejects company's data center proposal in industrial park

The Pataskala, Ohio, City Council unanimously denied Aligned Data Centers' proposal to build a 200-megawatt data center within the city's industrial park. The decision followed a nearly four-hour hearing on August 25, where dozens of residents voiced strong opposition to the project, citing concerns over its impact on green spaces, noise, heat, and overall community image. Resident Grace Franklin argued that the city should protect its agricultural and open spaces rather than pursue industrial development.

Aligned Data Centers' Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, David Robinson, presented details of the project, including plans for three facilities, reduced from an initial four due to resident criticism. The company also proposed mitigation measures such as sound barriers, extensive landscaping, and a closed-loop cooling system to address water usage concerns. They also planned to use a device converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity to avoid straining the utility grid. However, council members raised concerns about the completeness of the application, particularly regarding long-term power plans.

The rejection aligns with broader community efforts, as residents in Pataskala and the village of Granville successfully collected signatures to place a charter amendment on the November ballot. This amendment seeks to ban data centers larger than 25 megawatts, reflecting ongoing local sentiment that data centers have been largely unregulated and do not provide sufficient benefits to the community. Aligned Data Centers had projected significant economic benefits, including $34 million in annual property tax revenue and over 100 permanent jobs, but these failed to sway the council or residents.