Not in my backyard: Ohio residents force vote for yearlong moratorium on local data centers

Residents of Ravenna, Ohio, united to stand up against Big Tech and its seemingly countless proposals to build new AI data centers.

What's happening?

On April 10, at a meeting of the Ravenna City Council, the town's planning committee advanced a year-long moratorium on new data centers after residents coalesced to show their concerns over their resource use.

Per the Record Courier, nearly 100 people filled the council chambers to show their discontent over these facilities, despite being held in the middle of the afternoon.

In one five-minute-long video, shared on X with over 250,000 views, Ravenna resident Will Hollingsworth is shown passionately making a case against new AI data centers in his community.

A clear, well-articulated argument against a new data center in Ohio... worth watching pic.twitter.com/c4hfr3EaBf

— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) April 12, 2026

In his speech, Hollingsworth referenced many of the common arguments against the rapid expansion of data centers, including concerns over water use and pollution, in addition to fears over job losses.

During his time at the podium, Hollingsworth stated: "We are being asked to sacrifice the lifeblood of our city so a trillion-dollar company can save a fraction of a cent on its margins. We are being asked to drain our reservoirs so a chatbot can write a poem or so our sheriff can generate a picture of himself standing next to Bigfoot."

Unlike many opponents of AI and data centers, Hollingsworth isn't opposed to the technology, but rather how little oversight and regulation the tech companies promoting it are subjected to.

"I don't stand here as an enemy to progress," he said. "… When I look at the data center proposal, I don't see progress; I see a gamble where the Big Tech companies get the gold while Portage County foots the bill."

Hollingsworth was likely referencing the fact that Ohio offers generous tax breaks for tech companies that are constructing massive data centers in the state. 

"We're told that we have to accept this because we need 'big employers,'" Hollingsworth continued to explain. "We're told that if we don't say yes, we're driving away the future. But that's a false choice. A big employer who uses the water of 50,000 people … [but] only hires about 10 people, is not an employer. They are an extraction."

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What's next?

The Ravenna City Council will have a special meeting on April 20 for a vote on the moratorium.

But no matter which way the council chooses, it's clear that residents want protections against the downsides of AI data centers, whether they relate to job losses, higher electricity bills, or water extraction.

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