Will data centers play into the Vanderburgh County election?

Data centers are a contentious issue across Indiana, with their presence becoming a key topic in local elections, including those in Vanderburgh County. Consumer advocate groups like the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana highlight significant concerns regarding potential impacts on utility bills, pollution, and substantial water usage, noting that AI data centers can consume 1 to 5 million gallons of water daily. The article provides examples of specific data center activities. In Southwestern Indiana, a project suspected to be a data center, referred to as "Project Raider," in Gibson or Posey County, is preparing for a 600-megawatt load addition, prompting CenterPoint Energy to apply for a new substation with an expected in-service date of June 2027. In Warrick County, residents' opposition led to the cancellation of an informational presentation by Sourcecolo, a Utah-based company, which was exploring the area. Following this, the Warrick County Area Plan Commission is now drafting an ordinance to establish local regulations for future data center projects. Legislative efforts at the Indiana statehouse in 2026 saw several bills requiring impact studies and stricter regulations for data centers fail. However, two significant bills passed: HEA 1406, which mandates the Indiana Finance Authority and the Indiana Economic Development Commission to report on the local and regional impacts of data centers (including utility costs and water supplies) by November, and House Bill 1210, which directs at least 1% of future data center tax savings to local governments. Additionally, ten counties, including White County, have enacted six-month moratoriums on data center development to allow time for zoning ordinance revisions.