Rural Constitutional Route to Block Data Centers

Rural Ohio residents are pursuing a state constitutional amendment that would ban data centers larger than 25 megawatts, collecting thousands of petition signatures to force a statewide vote; supporters cite energy and water strain plus lack of project transparency. If certified, organizers must collect roughly 413,000 valid signatures by July to place the measure on the November ballot. — This shows a tactical escalation—using direct‑democracy amendments—to stop data‑center buildouts, which could set a template for other communities and materially slow AI/cloud infrastructure expansion and influence state energy policy.