9-23-2026 11:10pm

Warren County Commissioners Consider Moratorium on Data Centers

Beth Callahan Editor

LEBANON, OH — The Warren County Board of County Commissioners is considering a temporary moratorium on data center developments following a work session discussion on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The proposed pause aims to give county officials time to study the potential impact these large-scale facilities could have on the local electrical grid, water supply, and zoning regulations.

Ray Drafft, the Warren County Director of Building and Zoning, presented an informational brief to Commissioners Shannon Jones, Tom Grossmann, and Dave Young regarding the different scales of data centers. He noted that while smaller co-location facilities currently operate within municipal areas like Lebanon and Deerfield Township, the county’s current rural zoning code does not contain specific regulations or definitions for larger "hyperscale" facilities.

Assistant Prosecutor Bruce McGary clarified that under the county's existing framework, any immediate application would have to be evaluated against "same or similar" land uses, which has previously created regulatory challenges with other utility-scale projects.

Utility and Environmental Considerations

A primary focus of the work session was the resource consumption associated with data center cooling and operations. Drafft informed the board that data center designs vary, with some utilizing open-loop evaporation systems that consume significant amounts of water, while others use closed-loop recycling systems.

To better understand local capacity, county officials are awaiting the results of a Southwest Ohio water sustainability study currently being conducted by the Ohio EPA and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI), which is scheduled for release in November 2026.

Commissioners also raised questions regarding the long-term effects on local infrastructure, residential utility rates, and continuous noise levels from facility cooling fans.

Zoning Options and Community Feedback

Drafft outlined three potential regulatory pathways for the county moving forward:

Conditional Use: Allowing facilities via Board of Zoning Appeals approval with uniform use standards.
Site Plan Review: Requiring administrative review and public hearings directly before the Board of County Commissioners.
Data Center Floating Zone (Option 3): Establishing a specific "DC" zoning classification that would require a formal rezoning process, legislative discretion by the commissioners, and potential township voter referendums.

Turtle Creek Township Trustee Jonathan Sams spoke during the public portion of the meeting, expressing support for a cautious approach. Sams noted that portions of Turtle Creek Township sit above a sensitive aquifer and suggested forming a multi-jurisdictional task force to evaluate the broader economic, tax, and infrastructure burdens of these projects.

Next Steps

The commissioners expressed a consensus that implementing a temporary moratorium would be a practical step while data continues to be gathered. Commissioner Shannon Jones noted that a pause would allow the county to plan appropriately and develop clear standards rather than leaving development to chance.

The board directed the prosecutor’s office to draft a formal moratorium resolution. Once the draft is prepared, the county will schedule and advertise a public hearing to allow residents to comment before any official restrictions are voted into place.