Ohio data center ban ballot issue falls short of signatures
A grassroots campaign in Ohio failed to gather enough signatures to place a ban on large-scale data centers on the upcoming general election ballot. The group, Conserve Ohio, plans to continue its efforts to secure a spot on the November 2027 ballot, citing concerns about excessive water and electricity consumption by these facilities. Local communities like Hubbard and Boardman have already enacted temporary moratoriums on data center developments.
A statewide campaign led by Conserve Ohio to ban large-scale data centers in Ohio has failed to collect the necessary signatures to appear on the general election ballot this fall. Organizers acknowledged missing the July deadline, having gathered only 83,361 of the required 413,488 valid signatures from registered voters across the state, including varying levels of support from Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties.
Despite this setback, Conserve Ohio announced plans to continue its signature-gathering efforts for the November 2027 general election ballot, as collected signatures do not expire under Ohio law. The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to block data centers with a monthly power demand exceeding 25 megawatts, which the group defines as the threshold for large industrial operations, arguing they consume excessive water and electricity, strain public infrastructure, and risk higher utility bills for consumers.
This statewide petition drive is unfolding amidst growing local debates and actions concerning tech infrastructure. For example, Hubbard City Council members previously enacted a 12-month moratorium on data center developments in response to a local proposal known as Project Milo, and Boardman officials also implemented a temporary freeze on data center construction to study potential impacts on local resources. Conserve Ohio reported over 1,000 volunteers joined their campaign over the past 10 weeks and will continue to host local signing events.