Ohio EPA plans to hold a public meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 6 p.m. at The Well in Hilliard to walk residents through a draft air-emissions permit tied to Amazon’s data-center campus. The proposal would allow up to 158 emergency backup generators on the site, powered by ultra-low-sulfur diesel or hydrogenated vegetable oil diesel. Neighbors and city officials have already sounded alarms over air quality, noise, and what they describe as murky communication as the campus’s power plans have expanded. The meeting will feature a formal presentation, followed by time for public comment.
According to Ohio EPA, a prerecorded presentation will be shown before the hearing, and staff will then take public testimony at the Hilliard Community Center (The Well, 3993 Cosgray Road). Residents who cannot attend in person can submit comments through the agency’s online portal or mail them to DAPC, Ohio EPA Central Permitting and Regional Compliance, 50 West Town St., Suite 700, Columbus, OH 43215. The agency states it will accept comments through March 25, 2026.
What the draft permit covers
As reported by ABC6, the draft permit would authorize up to 158 emergency generators at the Scioto Darby Creek campus, with the units set to run on ultra-low-sulfur diesel or hydrogenated vegetable oil diesel. Ohio EPA describes the application as a Title V operating permit, a five-year renewable authorization that follows a prior permit-to-install issued in August 2024 and modified in March 2025.
Why neighbors are alarmed
On top of the diesel backups, the Ohio Power Siting Board has already signed off on a behind-the-meter solid oxide fuel-cell project to serve the same campus. The board’s staff characterized the system as roughly 72.9 megawatts of generation located on Amazon’s property and installed by AEP using Bloom Energy equipment, according to the OPSB staff report. Hilliard officials say that approval covers 228 fuel-cell modules and estimate the installation could produce about 1.45 million pounds of carbon dioxide per day, a figure the city cites in its appeal of state permits (City of Hilliard). The combined picture of large-scale fuel cells and hundreds of diesel generators has fueled petitions, council action, and neighborhood calls for tighter emissions limits.
Community response and context
Neighborhood groups have been organizing petitions, community meetings, and social media campaigns, arguing that the campus sits uncomfortably close to homes and Beacon Elementary and pressing regulators to spell out exactly what counts as “emergency” use (Hilliard Clean Air). Residents have urged the state to require Tier 4-level backup technology, independent health reviews, or additional mitigation measures such as carbon capture for on-site generation. The fight in Hilliard is unfolding as part of a broader statewide debate over how and where data-center power projects get sited and how much say local governments really have when major behind-the-meter generation is involved.
Legal and regulatory notes
Under state law, the Ohio Power Siting Board holds primary authority over behind-the-meter generation projects of this size. Hilliard has filed a notice of appeal with the Environmental Review Appeals Commission that challenges the fuel-cell permit, according to the City of Hilliard. Because fuel-cell approvals and backup-generator permits move through different state processes, residents and local officials are now pursuing parallel paths: administrative appeals, public comments to Ohio EPA, and continued local advocacy, rather than hashing everything out in a single hometown hearing.
How to weigh in
Public comment on the draft permit is open through March 25, 2026. Anyone who wants to speak directly to regulators can attend the March 19 hearing at The Well, where Ohio EPA will play a prerecorded presentation and then take oral comments. Written feedback can be submitted through the agency’s online portal or by mail to DAPC in Columbus. It is a relatively short window, but for residents wary of 158 generators next door, it is the official chance to push for changes before the permit moves forward.
