The Data Center Research Committee, established by Vanderburgh County, held its first meeting on September 2, 2026, to outline the scope of its work, share initial resources, and identify key areas for research on potential data center impacts and regulations. Members discussed information gathering, case studies, utility concerns, and community protections.
Note: No formal votes were taken on policy recommendations; the meeting was primarily organizational and exploratory.
That would be a good thing to have a copy of the So I sent a copy to the uh county commissioner's office. Uh where I basically what I did was uh we had worked two years on our solar code. And I took the solar ordinance and I just transferred that into what could possibly be a data center ordinance just for people that's just kind of the starting point. What's in there is you can fill in the blanks, whatever data you want. You can decide do you want there to be a special use for a data center or not? It's set up for there to be one. Um but I've also included in that email ordinances from around the country that you can go in and look at. Um there's one specific one. I think it's the uh Georgia one, it's the one at the very top. And what they do is they break it down into uh individual topics, noise, electricity use, order usage. All that is broken down into uh very specific sections in different ordinances that were done throughout Georgia and some other locations that have data centers or working on something just like you guys are. I'll be more than happy to forward that to everybody. You guys can have that. I just kind of did it uh so that you know it might be something where you can just fill the blank with what you guys come up with. Yeah, that would be a good starting point because it's kind of that's kind of what they did in Posey County was start with that and then started putting amendments in. Yep. And researching the other in-plainances around the country and in our state, and it helps plug in place things that are good guardrails for the community and things that need adjustment on. So the county commissioners already have that information along with our city council, mayor, by already has that. So it might be something where you just ask for the commissioners for that email. Um they already have it and everything is already linked to it. So thank you. Anybody else have anything they'd like to add? Can we just circle back to the the travel um issue at hand? I I'll just say for myself, I I do plan on on making several trips so that I can take measurements at different times of the day and different activities of you know, data center, you know, various locations. It it it can it will become you know somewhat uh I I don't want to say the word burden, but let's circle back and see if there is a uh travel budget that that we can um access. Yeah, I think I mean if you go to Fort Wayne, it's almost an overnight situation, same way with South Bend. I don't know where the closest data center might be. Anyone have an idea where the closest currently is? That's not the one. I'm gonna try to try to get that information for everybody, see where the the closest campus up and running is and get back with you guys really quick. I've got a list of um data centers in Indiana that are proposed operating declined. Um and I've got a list of um lost my train of thought of some ordinances. So I could provide that to the group. So I think those individuals that have agreed to get some information. Um I'm assuming and I'll try to work out those details yet today, um, and find out what where the depository for that information is, where it's going to go, and then try to get to you guys an email by the end of the day where the information should be sent. Oh, it may not be available by the end of the day where you're going to send it if it's uh it may not be available by the end of the day, but I'll should have some idea when it will be available. So when you're checking with the county commissioners, I think it might be a good idea to have if any of if anyone in their office could help with finding those case studies and ordinances that go along with them. That might be something very helpful to get us started quickly because we only have a certain number of meetings, and I would hate to put that on everyone here to to go, you know, just start searching. We could start with the list that I have, but those are only for Indiana, but I could possibly find a more extensive list of other in other states. Does IU have any information on data centers? Or Purdue? I don't know about IU or Purdue. I know Stanford and Harvard had done studies that there's information out there. I I also this is going to be vague because I'm just now learning about it, but I think there's an environmental justice, no, energy justice or something like that group within in Arizona that are willing to do research for communities, and I'm just now looking into that. So that might be another avenue where we can get some assistance. So in the kickoff meeting agenda, I'm gonna go through the items that were in there. Introduce committee members and provide an opportunity for members to become acquainted with one another. I guess there are what three members that aren't here today. Or two, two members that aren't here today. By your list, do you know who they are?