After residents gathered hundreds of signatures in Ohio, Sunbury will vote in November on a proposed charter amendment that would block large-scale data centers from being built within city limits.
What happened?
Organizers needed 174 valid signatures from Sunbury voters to qualify for the ballot, but submitted 450.
Sunbury Mayor Joe St. John said 351 were verified as city residents, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
After that, Sunbury City Council unanimously approved certification of the proposal at its July 15 meeting, sending it to the November 3 ballot.
If voters pass it, the amendment would set a 25-megawatt cap on data center peak load, shutting out the hyperscale facilities now being built around central Ohio and elsewhere in the state.
The ballot measure comes after months of dispute over a planned $2 billion Amazon Data Service campus in Sunbury's new technology park.
TCD Picks » Good Store Spotlight
Get 10% off your next purchase with code TCD10
The city previously enacted a moratorium on data center development through January 31, but some residents believe the project could still be approved once that temporary pause ends.
Sunbury is not the only city seeing this kind of organizing. A similar petition campaign is happening in Pataskala, and both efforts have worked with Conserve Ohio, a grassroots group that had been pushing a statewide constitutional amendment against most data centers before moving that campaign to the 2027 primary ballot.
Why does it matter?
Ohio already has a large data center presence. Data Center Map reported 224 facilities statewide, including 139 in central Ohio.
As that buildout accelerates, concerns have grown around electricity demand, water use, land consumption, noise, and tax breaks for some of the biggest technology companies.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Critics also warn that these projects can replace farmland with industrial development, place additional strain on public resources, and alter the character of rural and suburban communities.
Data centers serve as the backbone of modern AI systems, and AI can offer real benefits by helping utilities forecast electricity demand, integrate wind and solar power, and operate grids more efficiently. But the fast expansion of AI infrastructure can also increase energy and water use, add pressure to already stressed grids, raise security and misuse risks, and potentially leave households with higher utility costs.
Sunbury's vote reflects that debate unfolding one community at a time.
What's being done?
If approved, the charter amendment would place limits on large data center construction directly into the city's rules instead of leaving that question to future city councils.
That approach gives voters a direct say in the type of development they want to allow. Communities are using municipal charters, ballot initiatives, and organizing campaigns to influence projects affecting land and infrastructure.
City council agendas, zoning changes, and petition efforts often determine whether large industrial or tech projects move forward long before construction begins.
Sunbury residents will now decide in November whether the city should draw a firm line against hyperscale data centers, a choice that could shape how other fast-growing Ohio communities respond to the same pressure.
Whether voters view the measure as a safeguard or a setback, the result will signal how one community wants to balance economic development, resource protection, and the expanding physical footprint of the AI economy.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
