Meta pledges $8 million for Piqua emergency equipment amid data center plan
Piqua's City Commission approved a power supply agreement with AES Ohio for a new data center, revealing Meta as the company behind the project. Meta pledged $8 million for city emergency equipment, but community opposition group Save Piqua plans to fight the agreement, advocating for a public vote on data center allowance in the community.
Piqua, Ohio's City Commission recently approved a power supply agreement with AES Ohio for a new data center, revealing Meta as the company behind the previously undisclosed project. The approval followed Meta's pledge of $8 million to the city for new emergency equipment, including fire trucks and police cars. Vice Mayor Frank DeBrosse expressed support for the project, viewing it as a significant investment that will change the city's status quo and bring opportunities.
However, not all community members view Meta's pledge favorably. Lang, who leads the opposition group Save Piqua, criticized the pledge as insulting and a way for Meta to manage its own liabilities. Save Piqua is actively working to allow voters to decide on the presence of data centers in their community and plans to initiate a process to overturn the city's agreement with AES, citing concerns over clean water, air, farmland, and potential loss of homes.