Hilliard Council directs legal review, seeks outside counsel over proposed AWS fuel‑cell site

HILLIARD, Ohio — The Hilliard City Council on Oct. 27 voted unanimously to direct the city’s law director and staff to explore all legal and regulatory options related to Amazon Web Services’ proposed installation of Bloom Energy fuel cells and an associated 8‑inch natural gas pipeline adjacent to existing data center property. Councilmember Emily Cole made the motion after a 20‑minute statement describing procedural concerns and potential health and safety risks; the motion called for researching appeals, engaging environmental and appellate counsel, preparing a budget for review and expanding public engagement, including a resident sign‑on letter and FAQs.

Cole, the council member assigned to the Planning and Zoning Commission, said she had researched fuel cell technology and heard resident concerns about long‑term environmental and health impacts. “This is our community. This is the air we breathe,” Cole said, urging the city to pursue legal remedies even if success is uncertain. The motion instructed the city law director to “explore all legal opportunities available to us” and to engage subject‑matter experts; it also asked the acting city manager to draft a letter to Bloom Energy, AEP and AWS and to prepare outreach for community sign‑ons. The council voted by…