Ohio Cities Clash Over Amazon Web Services Data Centers

Two Ohio cities are pursuing divergent paths regarding the expansion of Amazon Web Services data centers. In Trenton, the City Council approved a motion to place a ballot initiative on the November 3, 2026, election, allowing voters to decide whether to ban data centers within the city. This move follows legal clarification from Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser's office and an Ohio Supreme Court ruling. The initiative complicates Trenton's attempt to secure a project requiring 601 acres, as Madison and St. Clair townships have formally rejected the city's annexation proposals despite millions of dollars in offered incentives.

Conversely, the Wilmington City Council voted 7-0 to pass an emergency rezoning ordinance to facilitate a $4 billion Amazon Web Services data center. The council rezoned the project area from Rural Residential to Light Industrial, reversing a previous 5-2 failure of the same measure. By passing the legislation as an emergency ordinance, the city allows the change to take effect immediately, bypassing standard waiting periods for resident challenges.

While Trenton faces a September 15 hearing to address township objections to land annexation, Wilmington's decision follows a federal court order requiring the city to adhere to open meeting laws. Local residents in Wilmington expressed dissent during the vote, with some proposing lawsuits against the city for using emergency legislation to accelerate the project.