Sunbury Voters Approve Ban That Complicates Amazon’s $2B Data Center Plan

Sunbury voters approved a local ban on data centers using at least 25 megawatts of electricity, adding a new obstacle to Amazon’s proposed $2 billion facility in the Ohio city.

The charter amendment won support from 78% of voters. It sets a power-use threshold for large data centers rather than naming an individual company, making the restriction relevant to any qualifying facility planned in Sunbury.

Amazon’s project was already paused under a city moratorium and was awaiting additional approvals before the vote. The new restriction adds another local hurdle to the $2 billion proposal.

The vote also highlights resistance to AI infrastructure expansion and could draw attention to broader Ohio policy. H.B. 646 is a separate bill that could impose a statewide moratorium on data centers. Any state-level action would extend the issue beyond Sunbury’s local charter amendment. Facilities below the 25-megawatt threshold are outside the ban described in the measure.