Amazon pitches 600-acre data center development in Butler County at open house
Amazon held an open house for its proposed 18-building, 600-acre data center development near Trenton, Ohio, amid strong local opposition. Residents raised concerns about electricity demand, water use, land use and potential contamination, while voters are set to decide Issue 17, a proposed ban on data centers, on Nov. 3.
Amazon representatives hosted an open house at Edgewood Middle School to explain the company’s proposed 18-building data center campus along Wayne Madison Road outside Trenton. AWS Economic Development Manager John Werkman said the event reflected Amazon’s effort to improve transparency and address community concerns about the project.
The proposal has drawn opposition from residents supporting Issue 17, which would ban data centers in Trenton. Resident Amy Hubert cited concerns about power consumption, water use, land use and contamination. Amazon Director of Power and Water Brandon Oyer said the facility would rely on water cooling about 3% of the year and use air cooling the rest of the time, but Hubert questioned whether that estimate fits Ohio’s weather. Voters will decide the ban on Nov. 3.