Ohio group pushes for statewide data center ban

A petition drive to ban large-scale data centers statewide is moving into its final push in Ohio. The effort aims to place a constitutional amendment before voters in 2027. This initiative grows out of a localized dispute in Mt. Orab, a village of 4,300 people in a rural exurb of Cincinnati.

Nick Owens, a lifelong Republican and attorney from the area, became involved after reviewing property records. Those records show that 1,000 acres of farmland and trees were sold to a data center developer in 2024 and 2025. The new development runs directly adjacent to existing two-story homes. Owens says nondisclosure agreements have kept the local community in the dark about the project's specifics. He describes the area as having a small-town charm that residents value highly.

Owens joined with another local attorney and a real estate agent to form Conserve Ohio. The group has mobilized volunteers across nearly all 88 counties in the state. Members include Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. In the current fall election cycle, the group supports ballot initiatives in ten communities. These local measures would amend charters to prohibit the construction of large-scale facilities used for artificial intelligence. This approach differs from the temporary pauses adopted by hundreds of other municipal and county governments.

Owens states that the group wants to test whether communities actually want these projects. He notes that politicians often claim residents should have a say, but the ballot initiatives will provide a definitive answer. The coalition is also working toward a more ambitious goal: a statewide ban. They argue that while data centers bring tax revenue and construction jobs, they also create noise, emissions, and require new power plants. Owens suggests that developers should consider building on old industrial sites rather than pristine farmland.

The issue has become a major factor in the midterm elections. In the tight U.S. Senate race, former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown has labeled incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted as the face of data centers. Brown points to Husted's past role as lieutenant governor, where he welcomed tech companies to the state. Husted has countered by accusing Brown of hypocrisy and has introduced a federal bill requiring data centers to pay for power grid upgrades. Senate Democrats have blocked that bill, calling it toothless.

Linda Moodie, an independent volunteer for Conserve Ohio, says she does not trust the candidates to give people a say if elected. She has been collecting signatures at local events, including a recent Halloween celebration in Fairfield, a Cincinnati suburb. She handed out candy and petition clipboards to attendees, which were well received. Moodie believes that as the issue gets closer to home, more people will want to take action.

In Mt. Orab, a Republican stronghold that voted 80% for President Trump in 2024, campaign yard signs are noticeably absent. Owens, who served as a Trump delegate at the 2024 Republican National Convention, says the data center issue has dampened Republican enthusiasm alongside high diesel prices. He calls President Trump's recent comments on Truth Social tone deaf. Trump wrote that communities should not want data centers if they want to be backwards and poor. Owens says residents want their regular way of life, not a choice between success and silence.