What we learned about Ohio data-center projects that could face Amy Acton’s proposed moratorium

MetroOhio Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former director of the Ohio Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton speaks with supporters during an April rally in Cincinnati. The lies and misrepresentations about Acton’s life being pushed by her gubernatorial adversary Vivek Ramaswamy say more about the GOP nominee than about Acton -- and they’re not good things, writes Brent Larkin. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)GettyBy Michael Johnson, cleveland.comAdvance Local Express DeskCLEVELAND, Ohio — Amy Acton’s proposed restrictions on new data centers could reach projects at sharply different stages, from a Perry Village campus without a site plan to Meta’s $800 million Wood County facility already under construction.The Democratic candidate for governor would allow new projects only on brownfields or previously developed industrial sites and require them to cover all electricity, gas and water costs, use union labor, disclose information to communities and meet environmental standards. But she has not defined “new,” set an effective date or identified when a project would be exempt.Those questions could affect billions of dollars in development. Ohio has more than 200 data centers, and companies plan to invest up to $40 billion more through 2030. These are five takeaways from the original article, which examined Acton’s proposal.1. Perry Village’s preliminary project appears the most exposedProvince Group is proposing six 250,000-square-foot buildings on more than 200 acres at the former Champion Farm nursery property.Mayor James Gessic told News 5 Cleveland in April that the village had not received a site plan and construction was at least two years away. The land was used as a nursery, not an industrial site, although Acton’s proposal does not define “previously developed industrial site.”Land-purchase agreements are in place, but the proposal does not say whether they would protect the project from later restrictions.2. Cleveland’s rejected application must clear local rules firstLakeland Equity Group proposed a $1.6 billion hyperscale data center on a 35-acre former truck yard in Slavic Village. Cleveland rejected the permit application May 14 after it failed an initial zoning review.City Council later approved a three-month moratorium on new stand-alone data centers and expansions. The pause runs through Oct. 16 while the city studies possible effects on neighborhoods, infrastructure and natural resources.The property is previously developed, but the project needs a new application. Acton’s proposal does not explain how statewide restrictions would interact with local rules.3. Piqua’s signed agreements do not guarantee an exemptionJ5 LLC, operating as Shaytura LLC, is developing a two-building campus in the Piqua Interstate 75 Business and Industrial Park.Piqua approved development, utility and tax-increment financing agreements in November 2025. The city and developer executed them Jan. 23, and Piqua describes the project as approved and underway.The developer must pay applicable utility rates and infrastructure costs. Piqua also signed a nondisclosure agreement covering proprietary negotiations. Whether those commitments meet Acton’s cost and transparency standards would depend on legislation and any protection for existing contracts.4. Meta’s construction raises the question of retroactive rulesMeta announced its 715,000-square-foot Wood County data center in April 2025. Construction had begun on the 280-acre Middleton Township site when JobsOhio announced the more than $800 million investment.Acton’s plan does not say whether projects already under construction would be exempt. JobsOhio’s announcement also did not establish that all construction labor would be union or that the property qualifies as a previously developed industrial site.5. The federal Piketon campus already meets several conditionsThe U.S. Department of Energy is leasing former uranium-enrichment land in Pike County to an SB Energy affiliate for a major data-center campus.The department says SB Energy will fund accelerated cleanup and $4.2 billion in transmission improvements. It projected more than 10,000 construction jobs using union and skilled-trade workers, although it did not say every worker would be a union member.The project uses former industrial land and includes major infrastructure commitments. Acton’s plan does not address whether Ohio could impose restrictions on a development built partly on federal property.Michael Johnson brings nearly four decades of newspaper experience in reporting, editing, newsroom leadership, page design and digital publishing. He has led daily and weekly newsrooms in Pennsylvania,...