Madison County Planning Commission recommends extended data center moratorium

Madison County’s planning commission is recommending extending a recently approved data center moratorium from six months to a full year.  As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, that recommendation now heads to the county commissioners.

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00;00;00;00 - 00;00;21;17 Thomas Ouellette Madison County commissioners approved the six month pause on data center projects just last month. But on Wednesday night, dozens of citizens voiced their support for extending the temporary ban. Al Roadcap says he has worked in the data center industry for 42 years. He believes data center technology is still being refined and it's too early to invest so heavily in them right now. 00;00;21;20 - 00;00;30;09 Al Roadcap Nobody wants to build a data center, and within five years it'll be obsolete, or using 10% of the space that they put in there. 00;00;30;11 - 00;00;53;13 Thomas Ouellette No one at the public meeting spoke in favor of bringing data centers to Madison County. The planning commission's favorable recommendation was almost unanimous. Jerry Alexander, who voted against the six month moratorium, voted present at this vote. The moratorium extension now goes to the Madison County Commissioners. They are scheduled to vote on the extension on August 4th. I'm Thomas Ouellette in Anderson.

Madison County commissioners approved the six-month pause on data center projects just last month. But on Wednesday night, dozens of citizens voiced their support for extending the temporary ban.

Al Roadcap says he has worked in the data center industry for 42 years. He believes data center technology is still being refined and it’s too early to invest so heavily in them right now.

“Nobody wants to build a data center, within five years, it will either be obsolete or using 10 percent of space that they put in there.”

No one at the public meeting spoke in favor of bringing data centers to Madison County.

Read More: Nearly a third of Indiana counties have moved to restrict data centers

The planning commission’s favorable recommendation was almost unanimous.  Jerry Alexander, who voted against the six-month moratorium, voted “present.” Alexander works for Governor Mike Braun’s administration and multiple speakers asked Alexander to recuse himself from the vote, since Braun has voiced support for data center investment.

“I am going to just vote present. I don’t agree with it, but I’m going to vote present,” Alexander said during the vote.

The moratorium extension now goes to the Madison County Commissioners at the body’s August 4 meeting.

The meeting also saw the beginning of forming a new committee that will research data centers and help inform the planning commission when drafting zoning regulations.

Planning Commission members Lindsay Brown and Michael Pelsor will serve on the committee along with two Madison County citizens to be chosen at a later date.

Executive Director of the Madison County Planning Commission, Larry Strange, says there have not yet been any proposals to build a data center in Madison County.

Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu.