A citizen initiative to add data center regulations to the city of Wilmington’s zoning code cannot appear on the Nov. 3 general election because the initiative improperly contains a provision allowing private citizens to sue the data centers for zoning violations, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled Friday.
As Republicans struggle to deal with a powerful backlash against AI data centers, Ohio GOP U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno recently issued a blunt warning: Companies can stop taking taxpayer subsidies, states can stop giving them — or the feds will tax them down to nothing.
As data centers continue to grow both in numbers and unpopularity, the candidates in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race are calling for more oversight. While they offer contrasting visions for data centers, neither has embraced a full halt in construction desired by advocates.
Ohio’s two candidates for governor have conflicting ideas of what they would like to see happen to future data centers, which have become a political lightning rod in this year’s November election.
Ohio lawmakers kicked off hearings for a new data center committee Wednesday. Stakeholders from the industry, utility regulation, and state agencies shared their views on data centers’ impact on the cost of power, the environment, and the economy.
Despite being up against a tight deadline, a group of southern Ohioans are confident they will get enough signatures to get a data center ban on the November ballot.
