As of Sept. 17, at least 138 Ohio municipalities and townships had active moratoriums on data centers, and 23 communities have effectively banned them outright, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. At least 23 more proposals are pending across seven counties, and the outlet reported the true number is likely higher since many villages and small townships don't publish ordinances or minutes online.
A Bowling Green State University poll found that 78% of Ohioans support pausing data center construction until more is known about the effects, and 75% oppose construction in their own communities. The industry has responded with ad campaigns touting the benefits and donations to help Ohioans cover utility bills, as a leaked Republican campaign memo warned data centers could hurt U.S. Sen. Jon Husted's reelection chances if developers don't better explain who benefits and who pays.
Capital University economist Saurav Roychoudhury told the Ohio Capital Journal that developers are now prioritizing "de-risked land" where they're less likely to face community pushback, and some have walked away from Ohio sites after moratoriums passed. Urbana, Lordstown and Commercial Point face lawsuits from developers alleging local officials changed course after initially cooperating on site plans.
Voters in four Ohio cities with active moratoriums will decide in November whether to make their bans permanent. Meanwhile, townships across Logan, Union and Champaign counties have passed nearly identical bans, and local officials say residents want firm rules in place before any project moves forward.