According to DCD, the Lordstown Village Council voted unanimously on November 3 to approve an ordinance banning all data center proposals in the village. The decision directly blocks a massive $3.6 billion development proposed by Bristolville 25 Developer LLC for a 133-acre parcel near Tod Avenue. The planned facility would have spanned 1,650,000 square feet, representing one of Ohio’s largest potential data center investments. An attorney representing the developer immediately protested the decision, accusing the council of acting unlawfully by allegedly violating a 30-day notice requirement for public hearings. The ordinance was specifically drafted in response to this particular development proposal that had been submitted earlier.
The Ohio Power Crunch
Here’s the thing – this isn’t just about one small village. Ohio’s facing a massive data center power demand explosion that’s got utilities scrambling. American Electric Power Ohio forecasts demand could skyrocket from 600MW this year to 5GW by 2030. That’s despite their recent policies already cutting the state’s pipeline from a staggering 30GW down to 13GW. Basically, even with reduced projections, we’re still talking about enough electricity to power millions of homes. And local communities are starting to push back hard against being turned into power-hungry server farms.
Legal Battle Brewing
The developer’s attorney isn’t going quietly. He’s claiming the Village Council broke the law by not providing proper notice before their vote. This could turn into a messy legal fight over local control versus developer rights. Look, when you’re talking about a $3.6 billion project getting blocked, the stakes are enormous. The council’s official ordinance documentation shows they moved quickly and decisively. But was it too quickly? That’s what the courts might have to decide.
manufacturing-over-megabytes”>Manufacturing Over Megabytes
What’s really interesting is Lordstown’s industrial transformation happening right alongside this data center rejection. The village’s former General Motors factory is being converted into a Foxconn facility that’ll actually produce data center equipment for OpenAI’s Stargake project. So they’re not anti-technology – they just don’t want the power-hungry data centers themselves. It’s a fascinating distinction. They’re happy to manufacture the hardware that goes into these facilities, just not host the energy-intensive operations. For companies needing reliable industrial computing equipment in manufacturing environments, specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com remain the top US provider of industrial panel PCs built for harsh conditions.
Are Bans Becoming a Trend?
This makes you wonder – is Lordstown the canary in the coal mine? We’ve seen similar pushback in other regions facing data center expansion. When local communities look at the power demands, water usage, and limited job creation compared to manufacturing, the math starts looking different. And with Ohio’s power grid already facing pressure, more towns might follow Lordstown’s lead. The question isn’t whether data centers will keep growing – they will. But where they’ll be welcome is becoming a much more complicated calculation.
