On Monday, a standing‑room‑only crowd gathered in the combined middle‑high school cafeteria in Millersport, Ohio, to hear local residents speak out against a proposed natural‑gas power plant that would supply a new Vantage Data Centers facility. Lorrie Hoover, a longtime resident, warned that the project would turn Buckeye Lake into an “exhaust pipe” for the community.
Project details and local impact
Vantage Data Centers, based in Denver, plans to build the $2.1 billion “OH2” data center on about 500 acres of former farmland roughly a mile from the lake. To power the center, developers have applied for a permit to construct a 1,350‑megawatt fossil‑fuel generating station. The plant would use 40 natural‑gas turbines, 132 diesel generators and an industrial‑scale battery system.
According to Oil and Gas Watch, the plant could emit roughly 1,600 tons of air pollutants and 6.6 million tons of carbon dioxide each year—an amount comparable to the emissions from 1.4 million cars. While the Ohio Power Siting Board and the Ohio EPA declined to provide specific estimates, health experts note that such pollutants are linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and adverse maternal and infant outcomes.
Community concerns
Residents emphasized that the plant would sit close to schools, playgrounds and family homes, raising worries about air quality and noise. “There is no local necessity to have a private, 1,350‑megawatt fossil fuel generating station. It’s tech infrastructure dumping noise, heat and air pollution onto our families,” Hoover said, adding, “It’s our right to breathe clean air.”
Many locals also pointed to recent state legislation that accelerates permitting timelines and offers generous tax incentives to developers. Vantage has received a 50 percent sales‑tax exemption through 2035, valued at at least $83 million, and the new law lowers property‑tax assessments for gas generators and battery equipment. Residents like Wayne Harris of nearby Pleasantville noted that while developers receive tax breaks, local taxpayers see no comparable relief.
Economic arguments
Supporters, primarily union representatives, highlighted job creation. Advanced Power, the Boston‑based developer, estimates about 6,600 construction jobs over three years and 20 permanent operational positions, with additional indirect jobs in the supply chain. Vantage itself says the data center will create 2,500 skilled construction jobs and at least 50 full‑time operational roles. Union leaders argue that these positions allow Ohio workers to stay close to home rather than travel out of state.
However, critics argue that the economic benefits are unevenly distributed. Most union speakers traveled from Columbus or its suburbs, not from Millersport, and the tax revenue generated is expected to flow to schools, police and fire departments rather than directly to the town’s budget.
Regulatory timeline
The Ohio Power Siting Board is required to rule on the permit within 195 days of the application, setting a deadline of Nov. 26. The board will assess whether the project meets the “public interest, convenience and necessity” standard. At the hearing, Advanced Power did not speak, citing board rules, and declined to provide a spokesperson for interview.
The debate in Millersport reflects a broader pattern across Ohio, where developers have sought permits for eight new “behind‑the‑meter” natural‑gas plants since Jan. 1, 2025. Those facilities are intended to power data centers for companies such as Meta and EdgeConnex, but community opposition continues to focus on local health, environmental and fiscal impacts.
Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.
