Over half of Indiana counties now restrict data centers – WFYI

Over half of Indiana counties now restrict data centers  WFYI

The number of counties with restrictions for data center developments is expanding. The policies range from bans and temporary moratoriums to regulatory ordinances to limit where the high-tech campuses can be built. The number of Indiana communities pausing or outright banning data center development has grown. About thirty communities had enacted some form of ban in July. Now, that number has increased to at least 50 counties — or over half — across the state. That’s according to the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, which tracks the local regulations. The collected data shows 32 counties have passed moratoriums, 14 regulatory ordinances, and in four communities data centers are not permitted. At least one county — Marshall — has made that ban permanent.

“What we’re seeing that’s new but not really surprising since July is an increased number of moratoria, and also several of those moratoria becoming permanent decisions, whether that is a ban on data center development or an ordinance like an updated zoning code or other local policy,” said Therese Dorau, Assistant Director for Climate Policy and Implementation at the Institute. Some counties approved a limited time for temporary bans. The six-month moratorium for DeKalb expired earlier this month. Data centers are large facilities that house the computer servers behind cloud computing, streaming services and artificial intelligence. Because those