Daily Digest — April 7, 2026
Indianapolis Councilor's Home Targeted in Shooting With Anti-Data Center Message
Indianapolis City-County Councilor Ron Gibson's home was struck by 13 rounds of gunfire early Monday morning, with a note reading "No Data Centers" left on his doorstep, according to CBS News and multiple national outlets. Gibson and his 8-year-old son were inside the home but were not physically harmed. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, and Indiana Department of Homeland Security are investigating the incident as an isolated, targeted attack.
The shooting follows the April 1 approval by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission of a rezoning request for California-based startup Metrobloks to build a data center on a 14-acre site at 2505 N. Sherman Dr. in Gibson's Martindale-Brightwood district, as reported by Indiana Public Media. The rezoning still requires final approval from the City-County Council.
Key details:
- Gibson publicly advocated for the project at the MDC meeting, citing an estimated 300 jobs over three years
- The project has faced months of organized opposition from community groups, including Protect Martindale-Brightwood, which cited environmental impact and neighborhood stability concerns
- Protect Martindale-Brightwood condemned the violence and denied any involvement
- Mayor Joe Hogsett and Council President Maggie Lewis both condemned the attack, with Lewis calling it an "alarming and unacceptable escalation"
- Gibson stated the violence would not deter him from public service
Metrobloks released a statement expressing shock and emphasizing that violence, threats, and intimidation are unacceptable in civic discourse, according to ABC News.
Targeted shooting at home of Indy city-county councilor includes anti-data center message
Indiana Public Media
Indianapolis city councilor says his home was shot at 13 times, "No Data Centers" sign left behind
CBS News
Indianapolis city councilor's home shot at; 'No data centers' note found
upi.com
Shots fired at Indianapolis city councilman's home after vote on proposed data center
ABC News
Indianapolis councilman says shots fired at his house and a 'no data centers' note left on his doorstep
NBC News
Deep Green Withdraws $120M Data Center Proposal in Lansing, Michigan
UK-based Deep Green withdrew its application for a $120 million, 24-megawatt data center in downtown Lansing just hours before the Lansing City Council was scheduled to vote on the project's rezoning and land sale, according to WLNS and WKAR. City Council President Peter Spadafore confirmed the proposal would not move forward.
The 25,000-square-foot facility was proposed for city-owned parking lots in the Stadium District, as detailed by WLNS in a pre-vote explainer. The project had been deemed unlikely to garner the six votes required for the land sale. Key financial elements that are now off the table include:
- Approximately $1 million annually in return-on-equity payments from the Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL)
- $1.4 million from the land sale
- $800,000 in tax-like revenue
- $120,000 annually to BWL's Pennies for Power program
- Free waste heat integration with BWL's hot water heating system transition
BWL CEO Dick Peffley told WLNS that without the data center's heat contribution, the utility will now need to build a new 4,000-square-foot heat station at Wentworth Park at an additional cost of $5 million.
The project faced opposition from environmental activists, including Michigan State University's Sunrise MSU group, who argued it would generate unnecessary carbon emissions, according to The State News. Some council members raised concerns about impacts on the local power grid, water supply, and use of downtown land.
Following the withdrawal, Council members Deyanira Nevarez Martinez and Ryan Kost plan to introduce legislation to increase data center regulations, potentially prohibiting them in commercial districts and requiring discretionary review in industrial areas, as reported by WKAR. FOX 47 reported that 100 people had signed up to speak at the council meeting before the withdrawal.
Proposed Lansing data center scrapped hours before council meeting
The State News
Proposed data center won't move forward in Lansing as Deep Green withdraws
WKAR
Deep Green withdraws rezoning request for data center
WLNS 6 News
Lansing City Council to vote on Deep Green data center today. Here’s what to know
WLNS 6 News
Neighbors react after Deep Green withdraws Lansing data center application
FOX 47 News
Citizens Group Files Lawsuit Against Franklin, KY Data Center Approval
Franklin Citizens for Responsible Development, Inc. has filed a lawsuit in Simpson Circuit Court challenging the City of Franklin Planning and Zoning Commission's March approval of the "Project Lionsgate/Blackjack" data center, according to WNKY and WBKO. The project involves a data storage and power generation facility on 147 acres along Steele Road, developed by OTN Development Company and TenKey LandCo.
The lawsuit alleges the commission's approval was "arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law," contending the project was treated as a permitted use despite earlier indications it should require a conditional-use review. As reported by WNKY, the commission had previously rejected a 2025 zoning text amendment that would have explicitly permitted data centers and power generation in the area, yet later approved the project without ordinance changes.
Additional allegations include:
- Concerns about noise, odors, and disturbances from the facility's size and on-site power generation
- Questions about the legal standing of developers OTN Development Company and TenKey LandCo to operate in Kentucky
- The group seeks a court order to void the approval, declare the project non-compliant, and halt further development
This is the second major legal challenge against the project. A broader overview from WKU Herald notes that TenKey LandCo previously filed its own lawsuit against Simpson County after the county attempted to require a conditional use permit. The Herald piece also reports that Oldham County and Ashland, KY have enacted moratoriums on data center development, and state legislators are working on House Bill 593 to mandate that data center developers cover infrastructure costs.
Atmosphere Data Centers Proposes 360 MW Campus in Dickerson, Maryland
California-based Atmosphere Data Centers has applied to Montgomery County, Maryland, for a campus of five data center buildings on a 110-acre parcel in Dickerson, on the site of a 700-acre former coal-fired power plant owned by Terra Energy, according to Bethesda Magazine. The proposed facility would consume 360 megawatts of electricity and an average of 69,300 gallons of water daily from the Potomac River.
The proposal is fueling broader regulatory discussions in Montgomery County:
- County Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe is pushing for new zoning rules to restrict data centers to industrial zones, with regulations on noise, emissions, and distance from residential areas
- The Montgomery County Planning Board has urged the council to differentiate data centers by size and impact
- Calls for a temporary moratorium have emerged; County Executive Marc Elrich has said he would pursue one with council support
- Candidates to succeed Elrich — Evan Glass and Will Jawando — have expressed support for a moratorium of six months to two years
Atmosphere CEO Chuck McBride expects Montgomery Planning to complete its review by July 2026. The article also notes that the QLoop fiber-optic network, essential for regional data center connectivity, was the subject of a lawsuit between TPG Real Estate and Quantum Loophole, which was settled in December 2024, with Catellus now leading the project.
Nobles County, Minnesota Townships Oppose Proposed Hyperscale Data Center
Elk and Bloom townships in Nobles County, Minnesota, are actively opposing a proposed hyperscale data center by Geronimo Power (rebranded from National Grid Renewables, owned by Brookfield Asset Management), according to The Globe of Worthington. The project, proposed for 640 acres in Elk Township near Reading, would initially require 400 megawatts and could expand to 1,000 MW.
Elk Township passed a resolution on February 24 opposing the data center and preserving agricultural land. Bloom Township is initiating a 12-month moratorium on data center development to study environmental, economic, and community impacts. Residents have raised concerns including:
- Loss of farmland and agricultural preservation
- Water supply impacts and disposal of treated cooling water
- Light and noise pollution, potential "heat islands"
- Increased electrical rates
- Long-term financial risks given the 10-15 year average data center lifespan
A separate report from The Globe covers a joint meeting of local officials where Worthington City Councilman Mike Kuhle advocated for the project, citing the region's wind farms as a power source. Nobles County Administrator Bruce Heitkamp indicated that if the Reading site is not approved, Geronimo Power would likely pursue an alternative location within Nobles County. Commissioner Bob Paplow stressed the need for transparency, noting that past design changes were not adequately communicated.
The Nobles County Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on April 8 in Worthington on a proposed zoning text amendment that would permit data centers as a conditional use in agricultural preservation areas.
