Support a 1 year moratorium on data center development

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Why a 1 year moratorium?

Taking one year to pause and study large scale data center development is responsible planning. It allows our community time to understand impacts on water, roads, land, and property values and to put protections in place before decisions are made. Thoughtful growth requires informed choices and a short pause now helps protect Hancock County and residents for the long term.

Contact the commissioners and ask them to protect the citizens of Hancock County and support a one-year moratorium on data centers.Jeannine Gray, District 1 Commissioner, Vice-President
Phone: 317-586-7362
[email protected]Gary McDaniel, District 2 Commissioner, President
Phone: 317-908-6399
[email protected]Bill Spalding
District 3 Commissioner
Phone: 317-604-6325
[email protected]

Request for Hancock County Data Center Moratorium and Zoning Amendments

I. The Introduction
We are here to request that the Hancock County Board of Commissioners direct the Plan Commission to issue a one-year moratorium on data center development in Hancock County until further research can be conducted on appropriate zoning as well as impact on local environment and infrastructure. The AI industry's “Gold Rush" for land and power is overwhelming local governments nationwide, outpacing existing local law and zoning ordinances. The operational needs of data centers are still in a state of flux and thus it is unclear what the local capacity is to fulfill them. Environmental studies are at best premature and due to an unregulated industry’s reporting, may not reflect the full scope and magnitude of issues.II. Local Context & Zoning Gaps
Last year Surge Development withdrew their data center project after significant public opposition and this board announced “there are other areas of the county that are zoned for data centers, and we do not believe the proposed site is the right location for this project.” We contend there is no area or zoning in this county appropriate for a project of this unprecedented scale and use, especially one with so many unknowns. Shoehorning a data center into Industrial Zoning doesn’t work—the utility demand and environmental impact is fundamentally different.
Current zoning requires no special exceptions for a data center; a data center may proceed without an abatement. Thus, there are situations in which you and your constituents have no recourse. Having the Plan Commission hold a Public Hearing and vote on a moratorium is our only protection.III. The "Indiana Precedent"
Hancock County has the historical opportunity to stand with other Indiana counties that elected to protect their residents and resources.
A moratorium isn't against growth or progress; it is a standard tool for responsible governance when we are dealing with AI-industry projects.IV. The “Guardrails" Argument
To preserve the quality of life and safety for our residents, we need to consider ways we can establish clear and consistent guardrails in agreements with data centers. Hancock County is familiar with developers neglecting their contracts and consequences in such situations is complicated. Protective measures are essential to protect us and any agreements made with an entity from the self-regulated AI industry, which has minimal government guidelines for operation.
Resource Protection
Data centers are notorious energy and water consumers, oftentimes with homeowners and businesses footing the bill. They also pose environmental issues. Although the AI industry is actively seeking solutions in new technologies and methods, those solutions bring new concerns. We are also not yet certain what the effect of data centers in surrounding communities will have on us and our resources, and we should not be in competition for these. It behooves Hancock County to wait until there’s been more troubleshooting before we allow a data center here.
The AI Uncertainty:
AI is a trend. The bubble will pop like it did with spec warehousing. If we aren’t careful, we may sacrifice land and resources for something that will have moved on in a decade. Under Moore’s Law, microchip technology doubled every two years; AI’s frontier system is doubling every 4-7 months. How soon will this technology be obsolete and what will we do with ghost structures left behind?
There are also issues with the lack of transparency of these projects, from misleading language and industry jargon to NDAs. The public deserves to know when, where, and how they are planned and to know their true infrastructure costs.V. Conclusion/Final Call to Action
Commissioners, this is a historical opportunity to be leaders for other Indiana counties and states, to do the right thing for current and future voters. Please have the Planning Commission pause any available data center approvals and draft specific data center zoning ordinances.Our proposed moratorium allows for "responsible land, energy, and water use" while collaborating with residents and experts because Hancock County deserves to have a future built with us, not imposed upon us, no matter the price tag.

The Local Impacts of Data Centers

• 💧 Wells went dry in Hancock County. During a single 24-hour pump test by NineStar, dozens of nearby homes lost well water.
• 🚨 Your electric bill is already going up — and data centers are why. Indiana utilities are requesting billions in grid upgrades, and those costs get spread to every ratepayer.
• 🏭 One Indiana data center installed 174 diesel generators. By limiting run hours, they stayed classified as a "minor" pollution source — avoiding stricter regulation.
• 💰 Indiana gave data centers an estimated $2.2–3.3 billion in tax exemptions. That's money that didn't go to schools, roads, or townships.
• 👷 Most data center jobs are temporary construction work. Permanent operations jobs are few, highly specialized, and often won't go to local hires.
• 🌿 Amazon was cited by IDEM for illegally impacting wetlands. At its New Carlisle site — and withdrew its permit application.
• 🐝 Data center heat contributes to bee colony collapse. A direct threat to Indiana's agricultural production.
• 🚗 Construction traffic near the Amazon data center became a safety crisis. Residents reported near-misses, illegal U-turns, and dangerous speeding on State Road 2 — stretching local police resources thin.