Ohio city approves 1-year data center moratorium amid energy, water concerns

Athens, Ohio, is putting a temporary stop to data center proposals, one of the country's fastest-growing and most controversial development trends.

What happened?

According to WOUB, Athens City Council voted August 3 to freeze new data center permits inside city limits for a year while officials weigh the heavy electricity and water use tied to those facilities. A possible project tied to a New York developer reportedly helped spur the move. 

The city says the pause will give it time to examine its zoning rules and consider revisions that more directly address data centers.

For the next year, no permits can move forward for data centers in Athens. City leaders also plan to bring in an outside firm to assess existing zoning regulations.

The city council approved the moratorium amid increasing concerns from residents that a data center project could move into Athens. 

"Could this happen in the city of Athens? It could. It could," Mayor Steve Patterson told the council, per WOUB. "We need as much time as we possibly can get … to make sure we get things in place and we get this done." 

Still, the vote did not address a tract across the highway from Athens High School — a tract that the New York developer was reportedly eyeing. In response, the Athens Township Trustees voted Aug. 1 to stop zoning-permit approvals for the proposed data center for up to a year, according to the Athens County Independent. 

Why does it matter?

Data centers can bring tax revenue and economic investment. However, they can create persistent noise while consuming huge amounts of power and, in many cases, water for cooling. 

For Athens residents like Aurora Charlow, who has respiratory issues, data centers are an "extremely concerning" threat to air quality because they often rely on polluting backup diesel generators, per WOUB. Former city Environment and Sustainability Commission member Aimee Delach added that pausing new projects fits with Athens' environmental goals. 

What's being done?

While the city reviews its zoning code, the one-year moratorium bars Athens officials from granting or issuing data center permits.

Councilmember Paul Isherwood said the decision is meant in part to communicate something directly to developers, per WOUB. "This is not a location where you will find right now that we are able to accommodate what you are looking for," Isherwood stated. 

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