Nick Owens leads Ohio coalition to block hyperscale data centers.

Nick Owens, a lifelong Republican attorney from Brown County, Ohio, is leading a statewide push to block the construction of hyperscale data centers after a 1,000‑acre parcel of farmland near Mt. Orab was sold to a developer in 2024 and 2025. Owens and a coalition of volunteers have filed ballot initiatives in ten Ohio communities that would amend local charters to prohibit large‑scale data centers, and they are drafting a petition for a 2027 statewide constitutional amendment to ban the facilities altogether.

The effort comes as Ohio has become a hotspot for data‑center developers attracted by cheap land, abundant electricity and generous tax incentives. Over the past decade, tech firms have built some of the fastest‑growing data‑center clusters in the country, turning rural townships into sites for massive computing campuses. In Mt. Orab, the newly purchased land borders two‑story homes, sparking fears that the quiet, small‑town character residents cherish will be lost. Owens says the secrecy surrounding the deals, reinforced by nondisclosure agreements, has left locals in the dark about the scale and impact of the projects.

Owens teamed up with another attorney and a real‑estate agent who shared his alarm, forming the grassroots group Conserve Ohio. The group has recruited volunteers from nearly all 88 counties, drawing Democrats, Republicans and independents who share a common desire to protect Ohio’s way of life. While data centers promise tax revenue, school funding and construction jobs, opponents argue they bring few permanent jobs and threaten farmland, water supplies and local aesthetics. Conserve Ohio’s ballot measures aim to give communities a direct say, rather than leaving decisions to politicians or developers.

If the ten local initiatives pass this fall, they will set a precedent for broader resistance. The 2027 constitutional amendment, if it reaches the ballot, could reshape Ohio’s role in the national AI and cloud‑computing infrastructure. Supporters see it as a defense of rural values; critics warn it could drive tech investment elsewhere. The outcome will test how far Ohio voters are willing to trade economic incentives for preserving their neighborhoods.