Boone County Planners Back One-year Moratorium On Data Centers

The Boone County Area Plan Commission recently voted to recommend a one-year moratorium on new data center development within the unincorporated areas of Boone County, Indiana. The decision, made during its May meeting, stems from growing concerns over the rapid expansion of large-scale data centers in Indiana, specifically addressing issues like water usage, electrical demand, and long-term infrastructure impacts.

Planning staff informed the commission that several other Indiana counties have already implemented similar one-year moratoriums, with some, like Marshall County, moving to outright bans after initial moratoriums. Officials are considering using this temporary pause to draft comprehensive zoning ordinance changes, similar to the county's energy overlay regulations. They also noted the importance of differentiating between small accessory data centers and large industrial-scale operations exceeding 100,000 square feet.

Residents and legal representatives present at the meeting urged swift action, highlighting existing strains on infrastructure capacity and the need for local control. They specifically referenced an existing large Meta data center project in the county, arguing that Boone County lacks adequate water, power, and supporting infrastructure for additional facilities. The commission unanimously approved forwarding the moratorium recommendation to the Boone County commissioners for further action later this month, aiming to use the time to study ordinances from other counties and decide on a potential permanent ban or stricter development standards.