Ashville Residents Petition for Referendum on Data Center Agreement

In Ashville, a Pickaway County village, residents have petitioned for a referendum concerning the village's preliminary agreement with EdgeConneX. This agreement pertains to the development of two data centers and a natural gas power plant on approximately 195 acres of village property. The agreement notably exempts the project from Ashville's existing data center moratorium, as reported by Medical Daily.

Ashville's Approach

Ashville residents initiated a petition for a referendum to challenge the village's preliminary agreement with EdgeConneX. This action aims to allow voters to decide on the agreement that would permit the construction of two data centers and a natural gas power plant, despite a local moratorium on such developments (Medical Daily).

Companion Community Strategies

Other communities have employed similar tactics or faced comparable challenges in response to data center proposals:

• New York State: Governor Kathy Hochul signed the nation's first executive order for a moratorium on data center development in July, following the state legislature's passage of a more aggressive omnibus bill for a one-year moratorium. This executive order was a compromise, with some advocates pushing for stricter measures, including a mandate for the Department of Environmental Conservation to conduct thorough environmental impact reviews (Wired).
• Chatham County, NC: Officials voted unanimously to amend the county's zoning ordinance to allow specific regulations for data centers. This action followed a temporary moratorium adopted in February due to environmental and infrastructure concerns. A Superior Court judge, however, ruled against the moratorium in favor of developer Eco TIP West, whose project was already in development. Despite this ruling, the Board of Commissioners continues to work on regulations, and residents are calling for a statewide moratorium (thetimesnews).
• Lowell Township, MI: Residents initiated a recall election for three township officials, including the supervisor and two trustees, due to their denial of a proposed moratorium on data centers. Concerns also arose from the supervisor signing a nondisclosure agreement with Microsoft and the officials' vote to uphold a partial denial of a Freedom of Information Act request related to rezoning meetings for a potential Microsoft data center. Discussion on the Microsoft proposal is currently on hold while a township committee develops a data center ordinance (mlive).
• Spartanburg County, SC: Residents have expressed concern over plans for a large data center that began construction before public awareness of the project. Democratic Senate nominee Annie Andrews has called for a two-year moratorium on data center construction in South Carolina to allow public policy to catch up with the industry's rapid growth and resource demands (Washington Post).

Unresolved Issues

The broader debate surrounding data centers in Ohio and other states encompasses several undecided aspects:

• Health and Environmental Impacts: Concerns persist regarding air pollution from backup generators, noise, light, and water usage. Emissions from diesel generators and gas turbines have been linked to asthma, heart problems, and other health risks. A modeling study estimated that pollution from U.S. data centers could contribute to significant health issues and costs by 2028 (Medical Daily).
• Local Control vs. State-Level Decisions: While some officials, like a spokesperson for Republican Sen. Jon Husted, believe data centers should remain a local decision, the issue has reached statewide races. Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown has voiced concerns about data centers' impact on farmland, water, and energy. Candidates for governor have also weighed in, with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy pledging to require data centers to meet all air and water quality standards and halt new approvals until legislation takes effect, and Democrat Amy Acton calling for a conditional moratorium to ensure utility cost coverage (Medical Daily).
• Effectiveness of Moratoriums: In New York, the governor's executive order for a moratorium was a compromise, and some groups continue to push for stricter measures and greater involvement from the Department of Environmental Conservation (Wired). In Chatham County, a temporary moratorium was challenged in court, highlighting the complexities of implementing such measures (thetimesnews).
• Financial Guarantees and Infrastructure Costs: Perry, Ohio, would require hyperscale developers seeking special tax incentives to provide financial guarantees. Sen. Husted has also stated that companies should pay for infrastructure costs, including energy (Medical Daily).