Hilliard Drops Legal Battle Over Amazon Fuel Cells | Columbus News

Columbus News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 17, 2026 · 2m

Hilliard quietly dropped its legal battle against Amazon’s fuel cell data center, admitting state law limits local control — even as safety concerns and unanswered questions linger. The city had initially approved the project in 2022, but later balked at Amazon’s plan to deploy 228 fuel cells, citing emissions and fire risks. After a tense 10-month legal fight, Hilliard withdrew its appeal, not because it endorsed the project, but because state authority over big infrastructure projects is too strong. While an air study eased some fears about CO2, critics argue the city gave up too soon —…