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Ohio Data Centers Head to the Ballot
Coverage from WOUB Public Media, Ohio Capital Journal, and others
Ohio residents in Ashville and Trenton are using petitions, litigation and proposed ballot measures to challenge data center projects and seek broader restrictions on future facilities.
The Ohio Supreme Court has cleared procedural barriers in both communities, allowing a possible vote on Ashville’s agreement with EdgeConneX and directing Trenton to place a proposed data center ban before voters. The disputes now turn on election certification, annexation and the scope of any ban, while officials and developers argue that projects can bring investment and public benefits if local protections are negotiated.
The core disputes are unchanged, but the update adds material project detail and clarifies that Ashville’s power plant still needs state approval while Trenton’s ban may not cover projects already under construction.
The story has expanded from a single Ashville referendum dispute into a broader Ohio conflict over data center development, with Trenton voters poised to consider a ban tied to a proposed AWS campus. This adds a second municipal challenge and raises the stakes for statewide local-control and project-approval debates.
- Trenton voters are expected to consider a proposed ban on new data centers.
- The proposed AWS campus would contain 18 buildings across roughly 600 acres targeted for annexation.
- Trenton residents cite aquifer use, electricity costs, property values, traffic, and environmental effects.
- Gov. Mike DeWine supports data center development with stronger local health and environmental protections.
The core legal dispute is unchanged, but the story gains a more specific project detail and broader statewide policy context, including Mike DeWine’s position on data centers and safeguards.
The Ohio Supreme Court ordered Ashville to submit residents' referendum petitions to the Pickaway County Board of Elections after the village treated its agreement with EdgeConneX as emergency legislation. The agreement covers two planned data centers and a natural gas plant intended to supply power. A fall ballot vote remains possible but is not guaranteed, pending the board's review of the agreement's legal classification.