Big Tech's Ugly Data Centers Finally Meet the Opposition

Rural communities across the U.S. are increasingly pushing back against the expansion of large-scale data centers, particularly those proposed by major tech companies like Amazon. This opposition is prominent in states such as Ohio, Maine, and Wisconsin, where residents are advocating for increased local control over development, better community trade-offs, and limitations on significant tax incentives offered to developers. A key example is Amazon Web Services' proposal for a nine-building, 2-million-square-foot data center on 500 acres of former farmland near Wilmington, Ohio. While proponents, including the state-affiliated JobsOhio, highlight the creation of up to 100 full-time jobs and potential public infrastructure improvements totaling $35 million, local conservatives express significant concerns. These include worries about the impact on their rural quality of life, the relatively low job count compared to the project's scale, and the potential for increased local electricity rates due to the data centers' high energy demands. This sentiment of resistance has translated into concrete actions elsewhere. Wisconsin voters have adopted local ballot measures aimed at regulating data center projects, with one measure already passed to give the public greater oversight of incentives offered to developers. Furthermore, Maine has become the first state to enact a law imposing a moratorium on major data center construction for over a year. The article also touches on broader political stances, noting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's distant suggestion of outer space data centers and former President Donald Trump's support for fast-tracking permits for