Springfield passes 6 month moratorium on data centers
The Springfield City Commission enacted a six-month moratorium on new data centers larger than 25 megawatts, aiming to give the Ohio General Assembly time to establish statewide regulations. This decision follows months of resident advocacy concerning health, environmental impact, and significant energy and water use. The moratorium does not affect a 75 MW data center currently under construction by 5C Group and Crusoe Energy Systems.
The Springfield City Commission in Ohio has enacted a six-month moratorium on new data centers with an energy demand exceeding 25 megawatts, effective July 14. The ordinance aims to provide the Ohio General Assembly time to establish statewide regulations for data centers, with Commissioner Larry Ricketts indicating the possibility of extending or strengthening the local ordinance if state action is not taken. This temporary ban does not impact a 75-megawatt data center currently under construction by 5C Group, with tenants like Constant Company LLC (Vultr) and Crusoe Energy Systems, which will use a closed-loop cooling system and operate in phases with utility capacity confirmed.
The moratorium follows sustained efforts by residents, including Melissa Rexroth and Nicole Bethel, who voiced health and environmental concerns. These residents are also gathering signatures for a city charter amendment to ban most data centers and a constitutional amendment to prohibit data centers consuming over 25 megawatts monthly. Ohio currently ranks sixth in the U.S. for data centers, with 194 facilities. Large data centers are noted for their significant energy and water consumption, raising concerns about increased costs for residents and businesses.
Springfield's action mirrors similar measures in other Ohio municipalities, such as Urbana City Council's 12-month moratorium in March and the City of Dayton's 180-day moratorium in late April. Additionally, the Board of Clark County Commissioners recently approved a zoning amendment that makes it more challenging for data centers to locate in the county by requiring specific I-2 zoning, which currently has no available parcels under county jurisdiction.