Central Ohio data center plan moves forward without city approval
“A proposal by Amazon Web Services to add a fuel cell system to power its data center campus on Scioto Darby Road is now expected to proceed without City of Hilliard approval,” said The City of Hilliard’s press release.
Amazon plans to install 200 fuel cells at its Scioto Darby Creek Rd. location. The project, which has already been approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board, doesn’t actually need city’s approval, and many citizens are concerned about the dangers of these fuel cells: fire and explosion risks, chemical hazards, and CO2 emissions in particular.
On October 20, AEP, which will own the natural gas-powered fuel cells, sent a letter to The City of Hilliard, withdrawing its application to the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission.
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“Per Ohio law — Section 4906.13(B) of the Revised Code — only the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB), a division of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, has the sole authority approve such a project,” said Hilliard. “The project was eligible for the OPSB’s accelerated application process. Ohio House Bill 15, which was signed into law in May, created such procedures for major utility facilities. Therefore, OPSB’s approval became effective Sept. 22. No additional approval is necessary; OPSB has exclusive ongoing jurisdiction over the construction and operation of the facility.”
So now, Amazon Web Services will withdraw its application to the City for a modification to its side plan, and the case will not be heard by the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission. The natural gas-fueled system will now proceed on Scioto Darby Road without Hilliard’s authorization.
“The City of Hilliard is disappointed to not have the opportunity to formally review the project as we would with almost all other new development projects in Hilliard,” said Acting City Manager Dan Ralley. “These are the types of issues that should be addressed at the local level. It’s regrettable that state lawmakers have overridden local oversight, particularly since this technology is unfamiliar and new not just to our City, but also the entire State.”
Hundreds of residents live in the homes near the planned fuel cells. Some took to Facebook to voice their concerns. “Carbon dioxide emissions, which he estimates at 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide, or CO2, per day. And the astronomical amount of water it will use too,” said one person. “It is absolutely abominable that residents don’t have a say in what happens in their city!” said another.
The City of Hilliard filed an appeal to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency on November 7.
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