ADAMS COUNTY, Ohio — The decision to ban large-scale data centers in Ohio could soon be up to voters after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost verified a request for a ballot measure Monday morning.
Ohio Residents for Responsible Development filed the request to get the ban on the ballot. The amendment would ban data centers using more than 25 megawatts a month.
The restriction would eliminate most of the large-scale projects currently proposed in the Tri-State area, including developments at old power plant sites in Adams County.
To get the issue on the ballot, the opposition group must gather upwards of 700,000 voter signatures by July 1.
RELATED: Adams County data center gets federal permit, as voters sign petitions to block it
Ben Murray, who is building a home in Adams County and works for the organization Food and Water Watch, said his group has also called for a moratorium on data centers.
Watch to learn what's next for the possible data center ban:
"This is not economic development in the traditional sense, because we're not talking about bringing jobs back in a meaningful way," he said. "AI is being rolled out to replace jobs in a lot of parts of the economy, so I just want to make sure if people want this to happen here, people understand the pros and cons of it."
He warned the public to be wary of tax incentives being offered at the local and state levels for these projects.
"This is a hard fight because there’s no playbook written for opposing these things," Murray said. "At the Sprigg Township level we’ve passed a moratorium which hopefully will put people on alert that we’re thinking about these issues, really weighing the pros and cons."
The Adams County Commissioners meet every Monday morning and public comment often involves residents asking for updates on the project.
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