"Residents in some areas of Ohio have organized a petition proposing to amend the state's constitution to enact a ban covering data campuses larger than 25 MW, preventing giant hyperscale sites from springing up anywhere in the Buckeye State. The petition was organized by residents of Adams and Brown counties, not far from Cincinnati, and submitted to the Ohio Attorney General's office on Monday."
"The current frustration is because of a planned facility in Mount Orab, in Brown County, where council members signed non-disclosure agreements that prevented them from sharing details about the project with locals. Such tactics are already a source of friction in other areas of the US, and is a common practice among tech companies including Amazon."
"A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that Americans believe giant server farms have a negative effect on the environment, inflate energy bills for consumers, and impact local communities, but that they may improve local employment and contribute toward economic development."
Ohio residents from Adams, Brown, and Clermont counties have organized a petition to amend the state constitution, banning datacenters with capacity greater than 25 MW. The petition gathered approximately 1,800 signatures, exceeding the required 1,000 valid voter signatures needed to initiate the process. Frustration stems from a planned facility in Mount Orab where council members signed non-disclosure agreements, preventing public disclosure of project details. This movement reflects broader national concerns about datacenters. St. Albans Township in Licking County recently voted to remove data processing services from zoning regulations to preserve rural character. Public surveys indicate Americans worry datacenters negatively impact the environment, increase energy costs, and affect local communities, though they may provide employment benefits.
#datacenters #environmental-concerns #local-opposition #constitutional-amendment #rural-preservation
Read at Theregister
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]