Grove City faces ballot battle over $6.9 billion data-centre project
Residents of Grove City, Ohio, are pushing a charter amendment to force voter approval of large data-centre projects, including a $6.9 billion, 300-acre development.
A planned 300-acre data-centre campus in Grove City, Ohio, valued at roughly $6.9 billion, has ignited a dispute between local leaders and community activists. Developers selected the site for its proximity to a 345-kilovolt substation, anticipating high electricity use for AI and cloud services. Concerns over power demand, water consumption, noise, traffic and environmental impact led the city council to adopt a one-year moratorium on such projects.
Protect Grove City responded by drafting a charter amendment that would subject any development meeting specific size, power or water thresholds to a voter referendum and require developers to fund ballot costs. The group secured over 2,000 signatures to place the amendment on the November ballot, despite criticism from Council President Ted Berry and Ohio Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve Stivers that it would stifle growth. A compromise amendment has been proposed, but council officials doubt it will replace the original measure, leaving the final decision to voters.
Why it matters
The outcome will determine how large tech projects are approved in a growing Ohio community.
In this story
