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Grant County planners begin outline for data‑center ordinance, emphasize transparency and resource impacts
Summary
Commissioners and staff discussed developing a data‑center ordinance outline, stressing annual reporting on energy, water and client categories, infrastructure contributions, and clear public engagement to avoid negative local outcomes.
Grant County staff and the Area Plan Commission on Dec. 1 began work on an outline for a potential data-center ordinance, focusing discussion on transparency, resource impacts and local benefits.
Staff presented an "Indiana data center review and concepts" and recommended starting with an outline to identify topics to be included before drafting ordinance language. Commissioners repeatedly raised transparency questions: who the data centers would serve, whether they would report annual energy and water use, and whether the county could or should require client-category disclosure.
One commissioner urged care about client lists and sensitive data, noting this could include medical or government records and recommending carefully worded reporting categories. A commissioner asked whether companies are meeting carve‑out requirements for Grant County and suggested a simple yes/no disclosure on certain categories.
Several commissioners pushed to consider infrastructure offsets: requiring new data centers to pay for fiber upgrades, additional well capacity or other infrastructure so existing residents do not shoulder the cost. A commissioner summarized the trade-offs: data centers may use large amounts of electricity and water and create relatively few local jobs, so the county should seek tangible local benefits.
Public commenter Ed Hartman urged learning from other communities and warned that standby diesel generators and large cooling systems can create noise and pollution if not properly regulated: "They wanna have ... standby diesel generators at the facility outside. No pollution controls on them ... Can you imagine the noise?" Hartman recommended heavy public engagement and transparency to avoid making the facility an "albatross of the community."
Staff said they will prepare an outline for public review and suggested a future advertised hearing to gather community input before drafting ordinance language.
