The Mayor of Mansfield, Ohio, has announced that the City will "no longer pursue" a proposal by developer EnergiAcres to build a data center.

The project was said to potentially provide resources - such as waste heat, or deploy carbon capture technologies that can then be used to improve soil health - for local farms.

“The proposed data center project started as a concept with a much smaller scope. As the proposal evolved, it became significantly larger and more complex to consider,” said Mayor Jodie Perry on Facebook.

“The project still had many important unanswered questions, which were essential to being able to consider it fully. We made it clear to EnergiAcres that we needed further definition, coordination, and answers to key questions before taking any further steps.

“The developer moved forward with the public meeting last week without prior local coordination. This made clear that we are not in alignment, and so we have communicated to them that we will no longer pursue the project.”

Perry is referring to a statement made by an EnergiAcres representative during a local government meeting, where he stated that he was 90 percent certain the project was going to happen.

EnergiAcres has 600 to 700 acres of farmland from Ernsberger Road to Amoy Ganges Road, according to a report by the Mansfield News Journal.

EnergiAcres had not yet secured planning permission for the data center when the statement was made.

One of the company’s co-founders, Dilshad Kasmani, said that EnergiAcres had “seen the mayor’s statement and respects the position outlined.

“At this stage, we are focused on listening, engaging with stakeholders, and determining whether there is a path forward that aligns with community priorities. We would welcome the opportunity to continue the dialogue.”

Mansfield is located in Franklin Township, Richland County, Ohio. This should not be confused with the 21 other Franklin Townships in the state.

In its own words, the Ohio-based EnergiAcres “develops integrated campuses that combine data-center-ready sites with dedicated energy infrastructure… and controlled-environment agriculture, such as greenhouses.”

The company is currently seeking planning permission for “The Real Stargate Ohio,” a 2-3GW behind-the-meter power generation project in Belmont County.

It is also behind Project Everberry, an indoor farming project that aims to grow strawberries year-round.