Long-shot Ohio data center ban clears first hurdle, heads to signature drive

A proposed amendment to prohibit the construction of large data centers in Ohio has cleared its initial legal hurdle, allowing proponents to begin collecting signatures for the November ballot. The Ohio Ballot Board unanimously approved the "Prohibition of Construction of a Data Center" amendment, confirming it addresses a single subject, which was the final legal step before launching a signature drive. Backers must now gather 413,487 valid signatures, including a minimum number from voters in 44 Ohio counties, by a July 1 deadline. The initiative originates from a group of residents in Brown and Adams County, near Cincinnati, who initially organized to oppose a local data center project they claimed would spoil the region's rural character. The amendment seeks to ban any data center requiring more than 25 megawatts of power, which would effectively halt the construction of typical large and hyperscale facilities in the state. State Sen. Bill DeMora, a member of the Ohio Ballot Board, expressed opposition to a statewide ban due to the construction jobs data centers provide, though he noted the significant challenge of gathering the necessary signatures for a ballot initiative.