Ohio Data Center Project Sparks Local Backlash and Moratorium Push

Ohio Data Center Project Sparks Local Backlash and Moratorium Push January 13, 2026 A proposed AI data center project in rural Ohio has ignited significant community opposition, highlighting the growing tensions between rapid digital infrastructure expansion and local governance in regions unaccustomed to such developments. The situation underscores a broader industry challenge: as demand for compute power pushes development beyond traditional hubs, securing community buy-in is becoming as critical as securing power and land. The controversy centers on a facility being built by AI data center firm Strata Expense at 1476 County Road 1A in the Haverhill area of Lawrence County. The project, backed by server manufacturer Supermicro and intelligence platform provider Ravel, was announced in December 2025. The land was sold to the developer by the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation, whose executive director, Bill Dingus, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the company. The announcement caught residents of the neighboring city of Ironton by surprise, leading to concerns over transparency in the approval process, environmental impact, and potential effects on the community. This discontent crystallized into a petition titled "Stop the AI data centers in Lawrence County, Ohio," which had garnered over 5,100 signatures by mid-January. In response, concerned citizens brought the issue before the Ironton City Council. At a meeting last week, the council passed a first reading of a moratorium on data center developments within Ironton city limits. The measure will proceed to a second reading at the council's next meeting, signaling a formal pause to evaluate such projects. The incident reflects a potential new front in data center site selection. While Ohio's data center industry is primarily concentrated around major metropolitan areas like Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, the push into more rural counties like Lawrence—located at the state's southern border with Kentucky and West Virginia—can encounter different regulatory and community landscapes. The call for a moratorium in Ironton suggests that even neighboring jurisdictions are proactively assessing the implications of nearby large-scale digital infrastructure, potentially setting a precedent for other communities. Source: datacenterdynamics