The Fight Against Hyperscale Data Centers in Ohio with Jessica Adams Baker

Host Stu welcomes Jessica Adams Baker to discuss the urgent grassroots movement opposing the development of massive data centers across Ohio. Jessica details how her activism began when local officials in Mount Orb, Ohio, signed NDAs regarding the sale of 1,200 acres for a proposed 2,000-megawatt facility—a power request far exceeding traditional hyperscale data centers. The conversation highlights the lack of government transparency, the use of emergency legislation to push projects through, and the environmental concerns, including massive water use from aquifers like the Great Miami River Aquifer. Stu shares parallel concerns from Piqua, where a Meta data center is planned, emphasizing the potential impact on local groundwater and geological fault lines. Jessica provides a critical call to action for listeners to support the Ohio constitutional amendment petition to prohibit data centers over 25 megawatts, urging people to visit www.conserveohio.com to volunteer or sign. The episode also includes discussions on severe weather preparedness, GMRS radios, and a dose of artificial intelligence and Southern-themed humor.