Mansfield, Ohio, Abandons Data Center Project with EnergiAcres Amid Misalignment
April 23, 2026
The mayor of Mansfield, Ohio, has announced that the city will no longer pursue a proposed data center development with EnergiAcres, a setback for the Ohio-based developer that pitches integrated campuses combining data center infrastructure with controlled-environment agriculture.
Mayor Jodie Perry said in a Facebook post that the project, initially conceived on a much smaller scale, grew significantly in scope and complexity. “The project still had many important unanswered questions, which were essential to being able to consider it fully,” Perry wrote. She said the city had made clear to EnergiAcres that further definition, coordination, and answers to key questions were needed before any further steps could be taken.
The decision follows a public meeting last week in which a representative of EnergiAcres stated he was 90 percent certain the project would move forward. Perry said the developer proceeded with that meeting without prior local coordination, signaling a fundamental misalignment. “This made clear that we are not in alignment, and so we have communicated to them that we will no longer pursue the project,” she added.
EnergiAcres controls between 600 and 700 acres of farmland in the area, stretching from Ernsberger Road to Amoy Ganges Road, according to the Mansfield News Journal. The company had not yet secured planning permission for the data center at the time of the statement. The project was envisioned to provide resources such as waste heat for local farms or deploy carbon capture technologies intended to improve soil health.
Dilshad Kasmani, a co-founder of EnergiAcres, said the company had “seen the mayor’s statement and respects the position outlined.” He added: “At this stage, we are focused on listening, engaging with stakeholders, and determining whether there is a path forward that aligns with community priorities. We would welcome the opportunity to continue the dialogue.”
Mansfield is located in Franklin Township, Richland County, Ohio, and should not be confused with the 21 other Franklin Townships in the state. EnergiAcres, which describes itself as developing “integrated campuses that combine data-center-ready sites with dedicated energy infrastructure… and controlled-environment agriculture,” is also pursuing “The Real Stargate Ohio,” a 2-3GW behind-the-meter power generation project in Belmont County, and Project Everberry, an indoor farming initiative aimed at year-round strawberry production.
The collapse of the Mansfield proposal highlights growing tensions in the data center industry, where local pushback over project scale, transparency, and community engagement is increasingly complicating site selection. As developers race to secure land and power for massive facilities, missteps in local coordination can derail even well-resourced projects, underscoring the importance of aligning with municipal priorities early in the process.
Source: datacenterdynamics
