COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Amazon expands its data center footprint across central Ohio, state regulators are inviting the public to weigh in on an air emissions permit that would allow the tech giant to operate 158 emergency generators at a new facility in Hilliard — a scale that reflects the enormous power demands driving the state’s booming data center industry.
The Ohio EPA has issued a draft Title V operating permit for the proposed Amazon facility at 4120 Scioto Darby Creek Road and will hold a public hearing on March 19 at 6 p.m. at the Hilliard Community Center, 3993 Cosgray Road.
The Generator Question
The permit is drawing attention for the sheer number of backup generators involved. The 158 units — fueled by ultra-low-sulfur diesel or hydrogenated vegetable oil diesel — represent the kind of air quality footprint that has become a flashpoint in communities across Ohio as data centers multiply to meet the electricity demands of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Emergency generators at data centers are typically exempt from many air quality restrictions because they are classified as backup equipment. But facilities operating at the scale Amazon is proposing can still generate significant diesel emissions during testing, maintenance, and actual outages — raising questions about cumulative air quality impacts in surrounding communities.
Permitting History
A Title V permit to install the generators was first issued in August 2024 and modified in March 2025 to authorize installation and initial operation. Under Ohio law, a facility must apply for a full Title V operating permit within 12 months of starting operations. The five-year renewable permit now under review is required for the data center to continue running.
The Broader Context
Ohio has emerged as one of the top data center markets in the country, with central Ohio — sometimes called the “Silicon Heartland” — seeing billions of dollars in investment from Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft in recent years. That growth has put increasing pressure on the state’s power grid and raised concerns among environmental advocates about air quality, water use, and the pace of permitting for facilities that can have significant infrastructure impacts.
How to Comment
The public comment period runs through March 25, 2026. Comments can be submitted in person at the March 19 hearing, online through Ohio EPA’s website, or by mail to DAPC, Ohio EPA Central Permitting and Regional Compliance, 50 West Town St., Suite 700, Columbus, OH 43215.
A prerecorded presentation is available for review ahead of the meeting and will be shown before the hearing begins on March 19.