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In a surprising turn, grassroots activists in Ohio have already collected roughly 25,000 signatures toward a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban new large‑scale data centers, many linked to artificial intelligence infrastructure, from being built in the state. These centers, often consuming massive amounts of power and water, have sparked concern among residents about local resources, bills, and land use.The petition effort, led by a group called Ohio Residents for Responsible Development, cleared a key procedural step after the Ohio Ballot Board certified the proposed amendment, allowing volunteers to begin the statewide signature drive. If advocates hit the required 413,000 valid signatures by July 1 from at least half of Ohio’s counties, the issue could go before voters on the November ballot.Supporters argue that large data centers, especially those with peak energy use over 25 MW per month, strain local grids and raise utility costs for families, while opponents caution that such a ban could hinder economic growth and technological innovation.State lawmakers are also forming a bipartisan data center committee to study impacts on jobs, environment, and infrastructure as the signature count grows.With the petition just beginning its climb toward qualification, Ohio’s fight over AI infrastructure is heating up and could set a national precedent on how communities regulate tech expansion.#Factology #fblifestyle #Ohio #AIinfrastructure #datacenterdebate