Why Amazon's data centers face opposition in Hilliard
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
As more Ohio communities push back against data centers, a plan to power Hilliard's new Amazon campus with natural gas fuel cells is the latest local flashpoint.
Why it matters: The dispute highlights ongoing tension over how the energy-hungry centers popping up everywhere will be powered.
- It also raises a new question: How much can local officials control what's built?
Catch up quick: Amazon has operated Hilliard data centers for a decade. Its third campus, 142 acres off Scioto Darby Road, gained local approval in 2022.
- The 6 acres of 228 fuel cells, however, didn't require that same city approval — instead, AEP Ohio got the go-ahead in September from the Ohio Power Siting Board, a division of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, under a new state law.
- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency approved an air permit in October, which the city of Hilliard is appealing.
The latest: A status report from both parties is due March 13, per court documents.
- Meanwhile, AEP Ohio will discuss the project at an open house 6-7:30pm Thursday at The Well, 3993 Cosgray Road.
The big picture: Facing strained power grids, soaring demand and rising electricity prices, more companies are looking to generate their own.
- By 2030, over a third of data centers are expected to use fully on-site power, per the latest survey from fuel cell manufacturer Bloom Energy.
- Hilliard officials have called the project "the largest of its kind in North America."
How it works: Fuel cells use a stack of catalysts and a fuel — in this case, natural gas — to make electricity through a chemical reaction.
- AEP Ohio has called them a "bridge solution" in Hilliard and elsewhere while transmission infrastructure catches up, with data center companies covering the costs.
What they're saying: Residents have expressed concerns about pollutants affecting homes and a nearby elementary school, while city officials have criticized preemption of local control.
The other side: "Fuel cells are cleaner and more efficient than traditional power generation sources" and "address the growing need for computing power without putting additional burden on the grid," an AEP Ohio spokesperson tells Axios.
- "We understand the concerns raised by some Hilliard residents, and we are taking them seriously."
What's next: AEP Ohio hopes to start building the fuel cells this fall, per its website.