Conesville data center raises concerns for reader

For years the AEP smokestacks at Conesville stood as a symbol of industry, a constant presence that came to define the area for many. Today, that same ground is being reshaped into a massive data center. While it’s being hailed as a major victory for progress and economic stability, we should ask: Does this project have the DNA of Coshocton County written on it?

On the surface it sounds great: massive investment, an outside company coming to our community, more jobs. But not all growth is black and white.

Historically, growth in Coshocton has meant something you could feel and see: steady jobs, local business and families laying down roots to support new generations. But a data center doesn’t quite fit that mold. Once it’s built, they tend to operate in a very isolated and solitary manner — a giant gray box housing rows upon rows of humming machinery, monitored by a small and specialized permanent workforce.

After the contractors leave, the construction jobs finish and the dust settles, the facility will rely heavily on local resources — demanding massive amounts of water and power.

There’s a strange irony in the amount of buzz about a project that, when finished, won’t do much more than literally buzz. Industrial fans will cool thousands of servers that won’t employ much more than a handful of people.

The Conesville site was once known as a producer, a regional asset that produced power for its customers and provided a livelihood for hundreds of families. Today we are being asked to appreciate and celebrate it as a consumer. This isn’t just a simple change in industry; it’s a shift in our role as a county. We’ve moved from being an engine for the region into being a utility closet for an out-of-state corporation.

Sure, it’s taxable income and a use for the land, but that revenue comes at a cost. These types of facilities consume millions of gallons of water per day just to keep their servers cool. They rely on massive grids of power that could drive utility prices higher. And when those grids fail? Backup diesel generators kick on, pumping noise and pollution into our air. Tax boosts? Sure. Long-term environmental stability? At risk.

I’ve heard some people say the Conesville site and the new data center is Coshocton’s way of “moving into the future.” While some may believe that to be true, I disagree. Real progress isn’t measured by server racks or data output. It’s measured by the livelihood of our people and the places that help define them and give them a sense of purpose. This isn’t that type of place.

Andrew Frank

Coshocton