St. Joseph County candidates discuss data center future
In St. Joseph County, Indiana, the debate over data center development has become a campaign issue for county council seats. Democratic candidates are advocating for an outright ban on new hyperscale data centers, while some Republican council members have proposed a temporary moratorium on new projects. This political division is highlighted by council members Jennifer Shabazz (D) and Amy Drake (R), with calls for bipartisan cooperation on the issue.
The future of data center development has become a central campaign issue in St. Joseph County, Indiana, as county council seats are contested. Democratic candidates and Councilwoman Jennifer Shabazz are advocating for an outright ban on new hyperscale data centers, expressing strong opposition to such projects. This stance comes shortly after some Republican council members proposed a temporary moratorium on new data center developments.
Councilwoman Shabazz stated, "We do not support the Thomas Drake O'Brien temporary moratorium. We support an outright ban on data centers in St. Joe County." Republican Councilwoman Amy Drake, while previously supporting a moratorium, indicated she is "fine with the ban" but acknowledged the difficulty in achieving it given current council dynamics. Democratic candidate Ranjan Rohatgi, running against Drake, emphasized the need for a bipartisan approach to the data center issue. Republican Councilman Joe Thomas, who supported the initial moratorium, also noted a desire for the dust to settle to assess the ramifications of data centers.
The debate unfolds with the backdrop of two already approved data center projects in the county and one rejected proposal from December.