Local farmers fight to keep pipeline for Meta data center off their land
Local farmers in Wood County, Ohio, are fighting against Will-Power's attempt to use eminent domain to acquire their land for a natural gas pipeline intended to power a nearby Meta data center. The farmers, represented by the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, argue that eminent domain should not be used for purely private corporate projects. While the case hasn't gone to court, the intervention has led Will-Power to agree to reroute the pipeline, though the new map is still pending.
In Wood County, Ohio, the Luidhardt family, multi-generational farmers, are actively opposing efforts by Will-Power to use eminent domain to acquire a portion of their land. The land is intended for a natural gas pipeline that will exclusively serve a Meta data center under construction in Middleton Township.
Attorney Maurice Thompson, executive director of the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law in Columbus, is representing the Luidhardts. Thompson filed a motion to intervene with the Ohio Power Siting Board, arguing that private property cannot be seized for the sole benefit of a private corporate entity like Meta. Although the legal challenge did not proceed to court, Will-Power subsequently agreed to remove the Luidhardt family's farm from the pipeline's route and submitted plans for a revised pathway.
The proposed Apollo power plant, which the pipeline will fuel, received expedited approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board because it will operate "behind-the-meter" to serve only the adjacent Meta data center and not connect to the public power grid. However, opponents contend that using eminent domain for such a project constitutes an unjust redistribution of wealth, benefiting a private corporation at the expense of local landowners.