Institute Fellow Explores Data Center Regulation Ahead of Great Lakes Water Conference
University of Toledo law fellow Carmela Sleva is researching how data centers affect water resources and how they could be regulated ahead of the 2026 Great Lakes Water Conference. The article highlights an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that prevented a Wilmington citizen initiative on data center zoning regulations from reaching voters.
Carmela Sleva, the 2026-27 Legal Institute of the Great Lakes Fellow at the University of Toledo College of Law, is studying the legal and environmental implications of data center growth ahead of the institute’s 2026 Great Lakes Water Conference. Her research focuses on the large amounts of water used to cool processors for artificial intelligence and the potential effects on freshwater resources in the Great Lakes region.
Sleva is examining a case from Wilmington, Ohio, where the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a citizen initiative proposing data center regulations could not be placed on the ballot. The court found that the proposal would have allowed private citizens to sue data centers for zoning violations, an authority Ohio municipalities do not possess. Sleva and institute director Evan Zoldan said data center regulation remains an unsettled area of law, with policymakers still seeking better information about facilities’ water needs and appropriate safeguards.