Northwest Ohio cities move to limit data center development
Voters and local governments in several northwest Ohio communities approved or are considering restrictions on data center development, including a 25-megawatt cap in Oregon, Defiance and Upper Sandusky. Vantage ended a proposed data center project in Oregon after the new limit, while other communities have imposed temporary moratoriums to study impacts on water, electricity, traffic and neighborhoods.
Voters in Oregon, Defiance and Upper Sandusky approved measures limiting the size of new data centers, including a 25-megawatt cap. In Oregon, the restriction affects a proposed Vantage facility near Corduroy and Wind roads that could have reached 500 megawatts. Mayor Steven Salander said Vantage has ended the project, leaving city leaders to explore other ways to generate revenue.
Defiance adopted a similar limit after its City Council imposed a six-month data center moratorium in September while considering the measure. Mayor Mike McCann said data centers could provide benefits if properly planned, but argued that the city was not ready to engage with developers under the new restrictions. Other communities, including Maumee, Monclova and Waterville, have enacted temporary moratoriums, while Toledo council members are seeking a formal study of data centers' effects on water, power and surrounding neighborhoods.