Indianapolis Councilors to Debate Data Center Moratorium

The Indianapolis City-County Council is slated to discuss and potentially vote on new regulations and a moratorium on data center development. Council President Maggie Lewis announced on July 10 her intention to amend the proposed regulations to include a temporary ban on new data center approvals.

The council's Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee will first review Lewis's plan before it proceeds to a full council vote scheduled for August 10. This initiative comes after months of demands from data center critics, intensified by the recent approval of a special use district by the Metropolitan Development Commission, which aims to regulate such facilities.

Neighbors, including Mapleton-Fall Creek resident Edith Conchas and southeast-side resident Meredith Sharp, are actively protesting, packing council chambers and chanting outside the City-County Building. They argue that the continued development of artificial intelligence will deplete community resources, with Conchas stating developers are "stepping on communities without asking what they need first." Council member Jesse Brown, a Democratic socialist, has consistently supported a moratorium and joined residents in their calls for a pause. If the moratorium passes, Marion County would become the 20th Indiana county to enact a pause or ban on data center approvals, according to the Citizens Action Coalition.