Across Southwest Ohio, voters pushed back against data centers — and politicians who support them
Voters in Piqua, Urbana and Wilmington, Ohio, approved measures opposing data center development or reversing land-use changes tied to proposed projects. The results could affect Meta’s project in Piqua, Thor Equities’ Urbana Technology Hub and Amazon’s proposed Wilmington campus, while Thor’s lawsuit against Urbana remains unresolved.
Voters in three Southwest Ohio communities approved measures opposing data center development. Piqua voters backed a charter amendment banning facilities requiring more than 25 megawatts of peak power, potentially affecting a $1 billion Meta data center being developed by J5. The amendment followed the city commission’s approval of the project, and its impact remains unclear. Three commissioners were also recalled, including Paul Simmons, who had opposed the project.
Urbana voters approved a 7.5-megawatt data center ban while the city remains involved in a state appeal and federal lawsuit with Thor Equities over its proposed 460,000-square-foot Urbana Technology Hub. Thor has offered a $50 million settlement investment in exchange for permission to proceed, but the city council has delayed action on the agreement. In Wilmington, voters overwhelmingly reversed a rezoning of 545 acres that residents believe could support a proposed Amazon data center. Organizers plan to pursue stricter data center regulations in a future ballot measure after the Ohio Supreme Court rejected their initial version.