The City-County Council passed a data center moratorium. Here's what's next
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Interest in building data centers in Indianapolis is growing — and so is neighborhood opposition to the hulking facilities.
Why it matters: The City-County Council is part of that opposition, at least until the city adopts stricter regulations for how the facilities operate and where they're located.
Driving the news: The city's Department of Metropolitan Development will hold a public meeting next week on draft special development standards to govern noise, appearance, land use, and other aspects of the server farms that store our information.
- The council unanimously passed a resolution last week calling for a moratorium on new data center projects until those standards are adopted.
Yes, but: It's nonbinding.
- It's a recommendation to the Metropolitan Development Commission, which makes zoning decisions.
State of play: Communities are worried about noise, aesthetics, the amount of water required to constantly cool electrical equipment and potentially higher electricity bills because these centers require as much power as a small city.
- Data centers could consume up to 12% of U.S. electricity by 2028, according to the Department of Energy.
- DMD's draft ordinance would create a new SU-47 special-use zoning district requiring every new data center to go through a full rezoning and public hearing.
- It would also set a 65-decibel maximum noise level at the property line and require a 200-foot minimum separation between a data center's primary building and any residentially zoned "protected district," including schools and churches.
Between the lines: Community and watchdog groups don't think the ordinance goes far enough to regulate the divisive projects.
What they're saying: "The City of Indianapolis is seeing unprecedented interest in the development of hyperscale data centers, which carry significant implications for the local electrical grid, water utility infrastructure, and residential quiet enjoyment," the resolution, introduced by Councilor Jesse Brown, says.
- "Initial feedback … (has) indicated intense criticism and disapproval of the standards detailed in this new Special Use District, which may necessitate amendments and further drafting," it reads.
What's next: The proposed ordinance goes to the Metropolitan Development Commission for a public hearing on May 20.