‘We don’t want this;’ Community protests approved data center plans in Miami County

On Tuesday, approximately two dozen Piqua residents gathered to protest an approved data center development in their Miami Valley community. The demonstration took place outside the Municipal Government Complex during a Piqua City Commission meeting, with protestors urging commissioners to reverse their decision to approve the project. Local resident Alisha Lange voiced the community's desire for a moratorium on data center development, advocating for environmental impact studies to be conducted. Another protestor, Rich Spraggs, expressed skepticism about the City Commission's assurances, citing concerns over potential increases in electric and water rates, as well as noise pollution. The identity of the company behind the Piqua data center project remains undisclosed due to a non-disclosure agreement, a detail previously uncovered by News Center 7's I-Team. This comes as Ohio ranks fifth nationally for data center density, with other projects, like an Amazon data center in Sidney and a proposed facility in Wilmington, also underway in the region. Despite the Piqua City Commission having already approved the project, protestors remain hopeful their voices will be heard. A city spokesperson acknowledged the planned demonstration, stating respect for residents' right to peaceful assembly and emphasizing public safety.