Residents of Ohio are campaigning to limit the expansion of datacenters with capacities exceeding 25 megawatts, indicating a rising wave of disapproval towards extensive server farms nationwide. The initiative, spurred by citizens of Adams and Brown counties near Cincinnati, involves a proposal to modify the state constitution and restrict data facilities larger than 25 MW, effectively blocking substantial hyperscale projects in Ohio.

This movement could gather extensive support, as the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that residents from Clermont County also engaged in this petition. A key point of contention is a proposed facility in Mount Orab, Brown County, where local council members entered non-disclosure agreements, inhibiting transparency about the project.

Such strategies have ignited disputes elsewhere, as seen in January when The Register highlighted similar actions by tech companies like Amazon. Additionally, a rural community in St. Albans Township recently voted to exclude ‘data processing services’ from local zoning laws to preserve their agricultural landscape.

These undertakings reflect a national sentiment shift, with Americans recognizing the environmental impacts, energy cost increases, and community effects of expansive datacenters, despite their potential employment and tax benefits. Local concerns about energy prices spurred high-level discussions, noted by President Trump’s initiative, urging AI and tech giants to maintain affordable energy rates through the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

Community resistance to new datacenter construction is evident in declining approvals, as observed in CBRE’s report on building slowdowns driven by local opposition in major U.S. markets. The rapid scaling of the datacenter industry, fueled by AI demands, stands at odds with public and environmental considerations, prompting Ohio’s citizens to call for a more contained approach.