Township trustees in Jerome Township, northwest of Columbus, recently voted unanimously to place a moratorium on the “receipt, processing, issuance or approval of any application for a zoning certificate” for data centers. The moratorium is believed to be one of the first in Ohio, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Vilification of data centers is increasing. In the last month, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved a utility proposal enabling discrimination against the cutting-edge businesses by imposing unreasonable additional charges and commitments on data center businesses.

The purported evidence of data center utility usage or constraints on the grid do not substantiate the enmity directed at data centers. Subject matter experts will dig into this topic at the upcoming Ohio Manufacturers’ Energy Conference. 9/10/2025