New data center ban amendment proposal to start gathering signatures

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office recently approved the petition language for a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at banning data center construction statewide. The amendment seeks to prohibit the construction of new data center infrastructure or the modification of existing buildings for data center use, defining a data center as a facility primarily for digital information services with a monthly demand or peak load exceeding 25 megawatts. Following this approval, the petitioners must now gather the required number of signatures from 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, totaling at least 10% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, and submit them to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to qualify the measure for the ballot. The initiative stems from growing concerns among Ohioans regarding data center growth, particularly their significant electricity and water consumption, and the tax breaks often granted to these projects. While critics, such as Sean O’Leary, a senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, argue that data centers, despite being capital-intensive, offer limited long-term economic benefits and few local jobs due to tax incentives, proponents emphasize job creation. Bobby Angst, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 648, highlighted the surge in demand for electricians, noting a substantial pool of applicants for these projects.