Towns Move to Block Data Centers Nationwide

Local governments from Ohio to Texas to Georgia are voting to slow, condition or stop data center projects, turning the AI construction boom into a zoning fight — and a campaign issue in November.

Punchbowl News, cited by Political Wire, reported Thursday that "Republicans and Democrats have the same new bogeyman," with data centers "a fixation in races across the country" as both parties struggle to answer voter anger over the nearly $600 billion artificial intelligence buildout.

Where The Fights Are

Cobb County, Georgia — Commissioners voted Tuesday to extend the county's data center moratorium another six months, 11Alive reported.

Marietta, Georgia — The city approved a contested data center rezoning after hours of debate, attaching a long list of conditions aimed at the biggest complaints raised, particularly noise and infrastructure, according to 11Alive.

Westlake and Keller, Texas — Westlake is on track to approve a data center on industrial-zoned land inside its own limits that sits close to homes on the Keller side of the line. Keller's mayor has promised to consider legal action, WFAA reported. "Make no mistake: Keller will be heard," the mayor said, per The Dallas Morning News, as the city council weighed suing.

Ashville, Ohio — Developer EdgeConneX is asking the Pickaway County Board of Elections to reject a referendum vote that could halt its planned data center complex, Cleveland.com reported — a new tactic to keep residents from voting on the project.

Stow, Ohio — The city council has scheduled a Sept. 10 public hearing on proposed rules governing data center development and its impacts, before any project has even been proposed, Cleveland.com reported.

Fairfield County, Ohio — Construction is already underway on a $2.1 billion data center near Millersport, with residents skeptical and alternative utility plans on the table, NBC4 Columbus reported.

Pennsylvania — More proposals keep arriving and so does the outcry, the Ohio Capital Journal reported. Longtime environmental activist Karen Feridun started a Facebook group in January for residents with questions about data centers.