# Ohio’s Data Center Backlash

> Ohioans fight Amazon’s 1.3-gigawatt data center with local bans and a 2027 ballot measure.
- Title: Ohio’s Data Center Backlash · Mother Jones | Shortify
- Summary: Ohioans fight Amazon’s 1.3-gigawatt data center with local bans and a 2027 ballot measure. Ohio residents oppose a proposed Amazon data center through local…
- Keywords: ohio, data centers, amazon web services, conserve ohio, ballot measure, water levels, biodiversity, midterm elections, local government, data center moratorium, 2027, adams county
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/ohio-revolt-data-centers-backlash-midterm-elections-opposition
- Author: Dan Gearino
- Published: 2026-10-15T07:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: ohio, data centers, amazon web services, conserve ohio, ballot measure, water levels, biodiversity, midterm elections, local government, data center moratorium, 2027, adams county
## Ohioans oppose data centers
Residents demand local bans and moratoria on data centers as concerns grow over water, air, and biodiversity.

> Especially on America’s 250th anniversary it’s your job to make sure there’s life for another 250
## Data center backlash intensifies
A four-hour legislative committee hearing in June showed growing anger and applause among Ohioans worried about unchecked data center development.
## Local opposition leads push
Nikki Gerber, a tourism guide in Adams County, leads efforts to block Amazon’s proposed 1.3-gigawatt data center near her campground.
## Biodiversity and water concerns
Gerber worries the data center could lower water levels and harm local biodiversity in Adams County’s brush creek area.
## Statewide campaign grows
Conserve Ohio, a group with rural Ohio leaders, is collecting 140,000 signatures for a statewide data center moratorium ballot measure by 2027.
## Local government resistance
Austin Baurichter, a lawyer in Brown County, left his law firm to fight data center projects and support local opposition efforts.
## State committee on data centers
Ohio created a Select Committee on Data Centers to address concerns about data center development and its impact on communities.
## Amazon defends water use
Amazon claims its data centers use less water than a few car washes annually, countering local water concerns.

> An Amazon data center ‘uses less water than a few car washes do annually’
## Statewide ballot measure
Ohio has 21 local ballot measures on data center restrictions, with 10 communities voting next month on local bans.
## Political candidates differ
Democratic candidate Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy both support a moratorium but differ on implementation and protections.
## Federal data center project
The federal government owns Ports Technology Campus, a 10,000-megawatt data center near Adams and Brown counties.
## Drought and water concerns
Gerber notes unusually low water levels in Ohio Brush Creek, raising fears about data center impacts on local water resources.
## Campaign progress
Conserve Ohio has collected 140,000 signatures for a statewide moratorium, but the earliest vote is 2027.
## Public support for opposition
75 percent of Ohio residents oppose data center construction in their communities, with 63 percent opposing projects statewide.
## What happens next
If opponents win, Ohio could set a national precedent for data center regulation by 2027.
## Key takeaway

Ohio residents oppose a proposed Amazon data center through local bans and a statewide ballot measure for a moratorium, aiming to protect water and biodiversity by 2027.