WQIO Ohio's Super Station
Voters in parts of Licking County will decide this fall whether to prohibit certain large-scale data centers from being built in their communities, putting the county’s rapid growth as a technology hub directly before voters.
The Licking County Board of Elections has certified the November 3 general election ballot, which includes charter amendments in Pataskala and Sunbury aimed at banning large data centers. More communities could join them before the deadline for additional charter amendments. (New Albany-Gahanna Beacon)
The measures would prohibit data centers that use 25 megawatts or more of power.
The issue comes as Licking County continues to experience major development tied to the region’s growing technology industry, including the Intel-related development in the county and a growing number of proposed data-center projects.
Why are residents pushing for the bans?
Residents supporting the restrictions have raised concerns about the potential impact of data centers on their communities, particularly noise, electricity demand and water consumption.
The proposed Pataskala and Sunbury amendments are the result of citizen-driven charter amendment campaigns. Residents in Newark, Heath and Granville have also been organizing petition drives that could potentially put similar measures before voters. (New Albany-Gahanna Beacon)
The deadline for additional municipal charter amendments is September 4, meaning the November ballot could still change in the coming weeks. (The Reporting Project)
The economic-development argument
The debate isn’t simply about whether data centers should exist.
Licking County has become a major target for large-scale technology investment, and local governments have been working to build roads and other infrastructure to support the growth.
The county’s Transportation Improvement District, for example, is overseeing roadway projects designed to accommodate increased traffic associated with development in the Licking County Technology District and the Intel manufacturing project. (Licking County)
A study prepared for a proposed data-center campus in Pataskala projects substantial economic activity from construction and operation. The study estimates that the campus could generate nearly 800 direct jobs during peak construction and approximately 111 direct operational jobs once fully built out. It estimates annual direct economic output could reach about $247.8 million once the campus is fully operational. (City of Pataskala)
That economic potential is part of the larger argument surrounding data centers: supporters point to construction jobs, investment and tax revenue, while opponents are questioning whether those benefits outweigh the infrastructure and quality-of-life impacts.
New Albany also has a stake
The debate extends beyond the communities where the ballot measures are being proposed.
New Albany’s International Business Park straddles the Franklin-Licking county line, and the city has been pursuing development in the area as part of its broader technology and business strategy.
According to reporting on the ballot measures, New Albany collected $10 million in data-center revenue from Licking County in 2025. The city has also annexed land from Jersey Township for expansion of the business park. (New Albany-Gahanna Beacon)
New Albany has said it monitors water use within the business park and that companies there do not use groundwater from wells. (New Albany-Gahanna Beacon)
A much larger debate is developing
The local ballot measures are unfolding alongside a separate statewide effort to restrict data-center construction.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office certified the title and summary of a proposed constitutional amendment called the “Prohibition of Construction of a Data Center” earlier this year. That proposal would amend the Ohio Constitution, although it must meet additional signature requirements before it can qualify for a statewide ballot. (Ohio Attorney General)
For Licking County voters, however, the local question is much more immediate.
Pataskala and Sunbury voters are currently scheduled to decide the local data-center restrictions on November 3. And with the September 4 charter-amendment deadline approaching, residents in other Licking County communities could soon find similar questions on their own ballots. (New Albany-Gahanna Beacon)
The issue places Licking County at the center of a growing statewide debate over how Ohio should balance technology-driven economic development with local control, infrastructure demands and the quality of life in communities where the projects are being built.
