Last week, Ohio had more data center-related measures on the ballot than any other state, and voters from Piqua to Grove City, Conneaut to Urbana, overwhelmingly voted to restrict the hyperscale developments.
Barry Blankenship started leading a data center resistance group in Trenton in southwest Ohio after two projects were proposed near his home. He says the ballot measure results send a message to local leaders about where residents stand.
“That shows when the power of the people comes together, we can beat money and we can beat big tech,” Blankenship said.
Note: election results are unofficial until confirmed by each county’s Board of Elections. Find more detailed information about local results below.
The Ohio Newsroom’s Erin Gottsacker spoke with WVXU Environment Reporter Isabel Nissley about the types of ballot measures voters considered and what the results say about public sentiment.
On why voters favored restricting data center developments
Nissley: Data centers really connected to this larger election issue of affordability. The computing facilities require massive amounts of electricity, which is driving up energy costs statewide, and people in several communities told me they're already having to make tough choices with their finances. They're scared for what they'll have to cut next if electricity bills keep climbing up.
Other people say they don't want this resource-guzzling big tech infrastructure as a neighbor. They say they're worried about data centers' noise, pollution, water use, a lack of transparency about projects from government officials and more.
Those concerns are bipartisan, and they drove Ohioans to the polls to deliver an overwhelming rebuke of data centers last week. Ballot measures to limit the developments passed with a large margin of support statewide, from Sunbury in central Ohio, which passed a ban on large facilities with 79% of the vote, to Perry in Northeast Ohio, which approved restrictions with 87% of voters in favor.
On how Ohio election results compared with other parts of the country
Nissley: About a dozen other states had data center-related measures on the ballot, and like in Ohio, many passed with large margins of support. What's different here is the number of data centers. There are more than 200 projects planned or under construction in Ohio. That's the fifth highest number in the nation.
On the impact on future developments
Nissley: Organizers say last week's vote is just the start of getting more restrictions on data centers in Ohio. A statewide coalition made up of lawyers and everyday people worked with the dozen plus communities to draft ballot language. Now, Conserve Ohio says it's looking to expand its efforts in more communities and help more people amend their city charters to ban data centers. The group is also collecting signatures for a statewide petition to amend the Ohio Constitution to prohibit the construction of large-scale data centers.
In terms of projects that are permitted or under construction, it looks like they'll largely proceed as planned. But future projects won't have as easy of a path forward if they're allowed to build at all.
On the consequences of limiting data center development
Nissley: Organizations like the Ohio Chamber of Commerce see data centers as major economic drivers. A Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation study says $40 billion have been and will be invested in data centers around the state through 2030, as well as jobs and state and local tax revenue. With new restrictions on these projects, they say communities will lose out and suffer economically.
How ballot measures fared
Data center ballot measures ranged from outright bans, to new regulations, to recalls of elected officials who supported data centers.
Southwest Ohio
City of Trenton: a charter amendment to prohibit the construction of data centers over 25 megawatts within city limits passed with 80% of the vote.
City of Piqua: a charter amendment to ban the construction of data centers larger than 25 megawatts of peak power demand passed with 67% of the vote.
City of Piqua: recall of commissioners in the city’s 1st, 3rd and 5th wards. All three were recalled with at least 70% of the vote.
City of Urbana: a charter amendment to ban the construction of data centers larger than 7.5 megawatts of peak power demand passed with 77% of the vote.
City of Urbana: a recall of Mayor Bill Bean passed with 73% of the vote.
City of Wilmington: four referendums to reverse the February rezoning of four parcels totaling more than 500 acres near U.S. 68 from “rural residential” to “light industrial” adjacent to proposed data center campus. Each zone change was reversed with support from at least 79% of voters.
Monroe Township (Adams County): a resolution establishing a zoning review process for “higher-impact development” passed with 60% of the vote.
Sprigg (Adams County): a resolution establishing a zoning review process for “higher-impact development” passed with 53% of the vote.
Northeast Ohio
City of Hubbard: a blanket ban on all data centers in the city passed with 76% of the vote.
City of Conneaut: a charter amendment prohibiting data centers larger than 25 megawatts in the city passed with 64% of the vote.
Village of Perry: an ordinance requiring that data center development companies seeking tax incentives provide financial backing to commitments around jobs and tax revenue. Developers must post a bond to back those claims before receiving any incentives. The measure also implements noise requirements. It passed with 87% of the vote.
Village of Monroeville: a pro-data center ballot issue FAILED with 87% of the vote. It was an advisory ballot question regarding an ordinance to allow data center development in the village. Because it is advisory, this question does not mandate the village to take any particular action but informs them of community sentiment.
Central Ohio
Grove City: a charter amendment to require a citywide vote for any proposed development that occupies 50 or more acres, draws more than 20 megawatts of power at peak electrical capacity, or consumes more than 500,000 gallons of water a day. It passed with 54.6% of the vote.
Village of Granville: a charter amendment to prohibit construction of data centers passed with 82% of the vote.
City of Pataskala: a charter amendment to prohibit construction of data centers larger than 25 megawatts passed with 74% of the vote.
City of Sunbury: a charter amendment to prohibit the construction of data centers larger than 25 megawatts passed with 79% of the vote.
Village of Ashville: a referendum to uphold an agreement between the village and EdgeConneX related to two proposed data center buildings failed with 82% of voters opposing the agreement.
Northwest Ohio
City of Defiance: a charter amendment to prohibit data centers larger than 25 megawatts passed with 65% of the vote.
City of Oregon: a charter amendment to prohibit the construction of data centers larger than 25 megawatts passed with 61% of the vote.
City of Upper Sandusky: a charter amendment to prohibit the construction of data centers passed with 77% of the vote.
Ideastream Public Media's Amanda Pirani and WYSO's Adriana Martinez-Smiley contributed to this report.