Group to host talk on data centers

BERLIN HEIGHTS — A local grassroots organization is hosting a public presentation to discuss what organizers call the hidden economic and environmental costs of mega-data centers in northern Ohio. The nonpartisan event, titled Data Centers: What Tech Giants Don't Tell You When They Come To Town, will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Berlin Heights Public Library, 4 E. Main St. Hosted by Firelands Indivisible, the free presentation — open to the public — features volunteers from Conserve Ohio, a group pushing a statewide constitutional amendment to halt the construction of data centers larger than 25 megawatts. Organizers said the issue hits incredibly close to home, pointing to a planned Aligned Data Centers facility near Hayes (Ohio 4) and Perkins avenues in Perkins Township. "The sudden ubiquity of them, coupled with the lack of direct studies and the current policy gaps in their regulation, should have us all concerned about if these facilities are the best choice for our communities," said Holly Wenzinger, an Erie County lead with Conserve Ohio who holds a bachelor's degree in environmental policy and analysis. Wenzinger, a Sandusky native, said data center developers are increasingly eyeing the Firelands region because of its most valuable resource: water. An August 2025 report from the Alliance for the Great Lakes highlighted that these facilities require massive amounts of fresh water for cooling. While a September 2025 report from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation noted roughly half of the state's data centers are concentrated around Columbus, a separate 2025 study published in the journal Nature Cities found overextraction of groundwater is causing the city to sink. This reality, Wenzinger said, is driving developers toward the abundant fresh water of the Lake Erie Basin. The presentation will also address concerns regarding noise pollution near local schools and air emissions from diesel backup generators, which data centers use during periods of peak power grid demand. Particulate matter and its precursors are tied to $820 billion in annual health costs in the U.S., according to a joint report from the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Beyond the environmental impacts, attendees will have the opportunity to sign a petition to place the anti-data center amendment on a future state ballot. While volunteers are gathering thousands of signatures weekly, organizers acknowledge they will not hit the required threshold to make this November's ballot ahead of the state's July 1 deadline. But Wenzinger noted that signatures remain valid for about a year, and the group fully intends to push the measure forward for a subsequent election. "Libraries are a lifeline," Wenzinger said of the signature-gathering effort. "Libraries provide so many services to all ages, so people are constantly coming and going. This makes them excellent locations to gather signatures." People can learn more by visiting conserveohio.com.