Resident Rebecca Roop urges moratorium on data centers; Defiance City Council asks law director to draft ordinance

Rebecca Roop, a local resident and organizer who said she runs Citizens for Responsible Development Defiance, told the Defiance City Council on July 7 that the city’s zoning and infrastructure leave it vulnerable to large data-center projects and urged elected officials to impose a temporary moratorium while the rules are updated.

“We have yet to be given details about what that project is,” Roop said, referring to 230 acres on the north side of town annexed last year. “The best thing we can do as a city right now is put a moratorium in place.” She recommended at least six months to a year and said she submitted sample moratoria from Archbold, Waterville and Blanchester for council review.

Why it matters: Roop argued that even a modest data center could demand more electricity than all Defiance households combined and could trigger infrastructure upgrades paid for by taxpayers. She cited figures in her remarks — saying a 25-megawatt facility would serve about 20,000 homes while Defiance has about 17,000 residents — and said residents had signed an online petition with more than 230 signatures in under a week.

Council response and action: Council members asked for the example moratoria to be circulated. A council member moved that the law director be asked to prepare an ordinance establishing a 12-month moratorium on data centers, cryptocurrency mining and similar facilities; another council member seconded the motion. The motion carried by voice vote of the members present. The council did not adopt a moratorium ordinance at the meeting; it directed staff to draft legislation for future consideration.

What Roop requested and proposed: Roop urged the council to require developers to pay for infrastructure upgrades, to demand independent verification of environmental targets, to set decibel limits and to prohibit bitcoin mining and other uses the city deems inappropriate. “We can demand annual payments to community betterment funds,” she said, citing other municipalities’ arrangements as examples.

Public comment and regional context: A member of the public later voiced concerns about regional development near Van Wert County, describing large parcels and solar fields associated with data-center projects and urging Defiance to avoid similar outcomes.

Next steps: The council asked the law director to draft the moratorium ordinance for council consideration at a future meeting. The council did not vote on or adopt a moratorium at the July 7 session.

Quotes (selected):

“The best thing we can do as a city right now is put a moratorium in place,” Roop said. “I am recommending at least 6 months to a year.”

“We cannot do that properly if we are rushing,” Roop added, urging time for studies and town halls.

Ending: The council directed staff to prepare draft legislation; no moratorium ordinance was enacted on July 7, and the issue will return for formal consideration once the law director presents a draft.