We stood on opposite sides of the Rainbow Trout Solar Project. One of us wore a red shirt in opposition, worried about the loss of farmland and the impact on nearby homes. The other wore a blue shirt in support, hopeful that utility-scale solar could bring new resources and economic benefits to our county.
On that issue, we disagreed. But today, we write together because we see a new challenge.
On Sept. 22, at the Indianapolis City-County Council meeting, Google pulled its application for the development of a large-scale data center. If the largest tech companies have their eyes set on Indiana and they can’t build in Indianapolis, where will they go next?
Tippecanoe County urgently needs a strong ordinance to protect our community from the unchecked growth of data centers.
Data centers may sound like harmless tech warehouses. In reality, they are massive facilities that consume extraordinary amounts of resources, siphoning them away from our community.
The strain doesn’t stop there. Data centers compete with households, schools and businesses for limited energy and water. They often receive generous tax abatements while creating relatively few jobs compared to the land and infrastructure they consume.
Who is the beneficiary of using our communities resources? The largest tech companies.
These impacts are not partisan. We all need water and we all need energy. They do not fall neatly along the lines of those who opposed Rainbow Trout and those who supported it.
This could affect all of us: farmers who depend on reliable water supplies, families who need reliably priced energy, and taxpayers who expect a fair return on local investment.
Tippecanoe County is an attractive target for large data centers. Our county has good infrastructure, abundant farmland and proximity to Purdue University. Without clear, enforceable ordinances, we risk being caught unprepared when projects move forward quickly.
The solar debates of the past year showed us what happens when community members feel caught off guard by projects moving forward quickly. The county must recognize the importance of careful guardrails.
Commissioners paused new solar projects to review the ordinance governing them. That same caution, transparency and foresight must now be applied to data centers.
When companies look to invest in Tippecanoe County, they must know what they are in for. We need to establish clear goalposts for them to meet.
We believe Tippecanoe County must set standards that are clear and enforceable that put residents first, and that prevent data centers from draining our shared resources. A strong ordinance should require:
Behind-the-Meter energy generation: Data centers must commit to provide a minimum of their own renewable or on-site energy generation. This way they don’t siphon as much electricity directly from our community’s grid. This protects households, schools, and local businesses from higher costs and disruptions to their services.Closed-loop water systems: Cooling systems must be designed to recycle water in a closed loop, rather than drawing millions of gallons from our local reserves. Water is too precious for agriculture, homes, and emergency use to be mismanaged.Job guarantees: Developers must commit to a minimum number of high-quality, permanent local jobs, not just temporary construction positions. Tax incentives should be tied directly to meeting and sustaining those guarantees.Community investment requirements: If a data center wants to operate here, it must also invest here. They must pay to play. That could mean contributions to infrastructure, school funding or other county projects.Strict limits on noise, traffic, and light pollution: Enforceable standards should ensure that residential life is not disrupted by 24/7 industrial activity.Transparency and accountability: The community should get full disclosure of ownership, tax abatements and environmental impacts. There should be ongoing public reporting to ensure compliance.These protections are not radical. They are common-sense guardrails that any responsible development should accept for our community
We disagree on certain ways we want our community to go forward, yet we are united in this: Tippecanoe County deserves a future shaped by thoughtful planning and strong ordinances on data centers.
We urge our county commissioners and planning officials to act decisively. Crafting a strong ordinance on data centers is not about being for or against growth. It is about ensuring that growth serves our community.
In a time when division often dominates public life, our shared voice is proof that unity is possible when the stakes are high enough. Let’s protect our land, our water, our electricity and our community together.
— Reed Davisson and Nicole Duttlinger of Lafayette
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Op-ed: United across divides: Tippecanoe County needs strong protections from data centers
Reporting by Reed Davisson and Nicole Duttlinger / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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