Recent local actions have intensified pressure on Ohio officials, with at least 138 municipalities and townships maintaining active data center moratoriums as of mid-September 2026 amid concerns over hyperscale facilities' heavy electricity and water demands for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Counties including Warren and Fayette have added temporary pauses this fall to allow environmental studies, while polls show 78% public support for such measures until impacts are better understood. State lawmakers have yet to advance a statewide moratorium despite gubernatorial candidates and U.S. Senate contenders endorsing restrictions, and Senate Bill 294 remains pending. November local ballot measures and a proposed 2027 constitutional amendment prohibiting large data centers could further shape outcomes, though grid operator PJM delays highlight ongoing infrastructure tensions.