Indiana Data Center News

Jan 4, 2026

Big Tech's Expanding Plans for Data Centers are Running into Stiff Community Opposition

Associated Press reports tech companies and developers increasingly losing local fights over data center projects.

Main announcement: Data Center Watch (a project of 10a Labs) counted 20 proposals valued at $98 billion in 11 states that were blocked or delayed between April and June, representing two-thirds of the projects it was tracking; the article notes major firms (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook) are collectively spending “hundreds of billions of dollars” on data centers globally.
Background and details: Community opposition is driven by concerns about energy use, water consumption, zoning, and loss of open space/farmland; local examples include East Vincent Township (Larry Shank), Matthews, NC (Mayor John Higdon: “999 to one against”), and Hermantown/Duluth, MN (Mortenson developing for an unnamed Fortune 50 company — Mortenson says it is considering changes). Developers and industry sources (Maxx Kossof, Dan Diorio) report zoning defeats, the prospect of selling sites after securing power, and calls for earlier community engagement.

Jan 3, 2026

Big Tech’s fast-expanding plans for data centers are running into stiff community opposition

Communities across the United States are increasingly blocking or delaying proposed data centers intended to serve AI and cloud computing workloads.

Major local defeats and delays: Data Center Watch (a project of 10a Labs) counted 20 proposals valued at $98 billion across 11 states that were blocked or delayed between April and June; opponents have also forced rezoning losses in states such as Indiana and pulled projects from city agendas (e.g., Matthews, NC). The article cites Microsoft’s securities filing acknowledging “community opposition, local moratoriums, and hyper-local dissent” as operational risks.
Project and developer details / background: Developers and trade groups such as The Missner Group, JLL, Mortenson, and the Data Center Coalition are adjusting strategy—considering selling power-secured sites or increasing early community engagement; one Mortenson project in Minnesota is on hold after internal emails revealed officials knew of the plan a year before public disclosure, and a Matthews, NC proposal reportedly would have funded half the city’s budget.

Jan 2, 2026

State Broadband Bills of 2025: A Legislative Review

State legislatures across the United States enacted and considered broadband-related legislation in 2025; fewer than 140 of more than 600 proposed bills became law.

Main actions: States enacted laws prioritizing infrastructure and permitting reforms, pole and rights-of-way access, criminal penalties for theft/vandalism, state broadband funding, and data center incentives. Notable enacted measures include Hawaii H 934 (established a state Broadband Office and programs, enacted in June and backed by $400 million in combined funding), West Virginia SB 907 (expanded the Economic Development Project Fund to allow up to $25 million annually for broadband incentives and up to $125 million annually for broadband loan insurance) and West Virginia HB 2014 (signed in April; created microgrid districts with zoning/permitting exemptions and special property tax treatment for qualifying projects).
Additional details and timelines: States also raised criminal penalties (e.g., Oklahoma classified willful damage to a critical infrastructure facility as a Class D3 felony with fines up to $100,000 and prison up to 10 years; Louisiana authorized fines up to $50,000 and prison up to 20 years; California AB 476 increased penalties for knowingly buying illegally obtained scrap metal to $5,000). Other enacted programs include California SB 338 (a $2 million telehealth pilot), New Mexico SB 126 (Rural USF increased from $30 million to $40 million), and Oregon’s device support up to $100 in Lifeline-related assistance. At least 37 states passed data center incentives in 2025 and over 1,000 AI-focused bills were introduced nationwide, with ~38 states adopting or enacting roughly 100 AI measures in 2025.

Jan 1, 2026

What Kentucky’s 2026 General Assembly could mean for environment, energy issues

Louisville Public Media reports on what environmental advocates and lawmakers are expecting from Kentucky’s 2026 General Assembly regarding environment and energy issues, including fights over water protections, conservation funding, and resource-intensive data centers.

Main announcement/action: The article summarizes stakeholders’ priorities and concerns for the 2026 legislative session: data centers/AI-driven development will be a major focus, advocates are urging increased conservation funding (The Nature Conservancy report: Kentucky ~$2.4 million annual conservation funding vs. Indiana $11.5 million, a $9.1 million gap), and Gov. Beshear’s administration cited a need for $1.8 million annually for permit review staff under new water rules.
Background and concrete details: The piece documents recent policy changes and proposals: passage of Senate Bill 89 narrowing state water protections (aligned with the Trump administration/EPA proposals), calls for a PFAS working group and manufacturer disclosure, a legislatively ordered report on vehicle tires in streams, concern about possible budget cuts to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and Public Service Commission, and lawmakers’ comments about supporting coal and nuclear as part of energy diversification.

Dec 30, 2025

AI in VFX: AI Face Replacement

Massed Compute is promoting its cloud GPU rentals for VFX and AI face replacement workloads and offering a 15% discount with coupon code MassedComputeResearch.

Main announcement/action: Massed Compute offers cloud GPU rentals aimed at accelerating AI face replacement and VFX model training, claiming to reduce training time from days or weeks to just a few hours; promotional 15% off coupon code MassedComputeResearch is provided for GPU rentals.
Background and details: The article explains common use cases (digital de-aging, stunt doubles, AI-generated actors) and cites real-world examples (The Irishman (2019), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)). It lists desktop tools (DeepFaceLab, FaceSwap, Roop) and mobile apps (Reface, FaceApp, FaceMagic), notes typical technical requirements (powerful GPU, Python, TensorFlow/PyTorch, FFMPEG, Microsoft Visual C++), and states legal constraints: image rights and consent/contractual approvals are required.

Dec 30, 2025

Scorecard: Looking Back at Data Center Frontier’s 2025 Industry Predictions

Data Center Frontier published a 2025 scorecard grading eight data center industry trends and issued verdicts on each, emphasizing that power, cooling, and utility coordination dominated what shaped the industry in 2025.

Main announcement: Data Center Frontier released a year-end scorecard evaluating eight core trends with graded verdicts (e.g., “VERDICT: MASSIVE HIT” for power constraints and hyperscale megacampuses; “VERDICT: STRONG HIT” for natural gas bridging supply). The article cites specific figures and deals including estimates that U.S. data center energy use could reach up to 12% of U.S. electricity by 2028 (Congressional Research Service), a reported $120+ billion of AI data center spending shifted off balance sheets (Financial Times), and Alphabet’s $4.75 billion acquisition of Intersect Power to align energy and compute deployment timelines.
Background and details: The piece documents operational shifts in 2025—liquid direct-to-chip cooling moved to baseline design assumptions (TrendForce: DLC adoption ~33% in 2025), natural gas and behind-the-meter generation emerged as fast-to-deploy reliability options (ExxonMobil’s 1.5-GW plant plans and CCS pairing), and quantum and immersion cooling progressed technically but remained “Too Early” for broad adoption. It also notes concrete geographic and market examples (record-low primary market vacancy at 1.6% per CBRE; secondary market growth in Central Ohio, Indiana, Louisiana, Utah, Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee).

Dec 29, 2025

Amazon Data Centers Aren’t Raising Your Electric Bills—They May Be Lowering Them

Amazon Web Services commissioned an E3 study finding its data centers generate surplus revenue and are not subsidized by other utility customers.

Main finding and scope: The E3 study projects $33,500/MW in surplus value in 2025 rising to $60,650/MW by 2030; for a typical 100‑MW data center this equates to $3.4 million in 2025 and ~$6.1 million in 2030. The study assessed multiple utility territories including PG&E, Dominion Energy, Entergy, and Umatilla Electric Cooperative, concluding revenues above regulated returns can fund grid modernization without shifting costs to residential ratepayers.
Partnerships, structures, and project details: AWS and utilities are using innovative models (e.g., NIPSCO GenCo: 3 GW investment with 2.4 GW for data centers and 600 MW reserved for grid reliability); NIPSCO projects ~$1 billion in cost savings returned as bill credits over a 15‑year duration. Other specifics include Entergy Mississippi’s $300 million Superpower Mississippi grid campaign, AWS’s >600 renewable projects (claimed to power 8.3 million U.S. homes), investments in nuclear and 11 solar-plus-battery projects, and AWS efficiency metrics (Graviton up to 60% less energy, Inferentia2 up to 50% better performance per watt, PUE 1.15 in 2024, 35% embodied carbon reduction).

Dec 23, 2025

AWS Scales AI Infrastructure Across Data Centers, Power, and Networks

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a coordinated AI infrastructure strategy: launching AWS AI Factories for on-premises hyperscale AI deployments, a $15 billion data center expansion in Northern Indiana adding ~2.4 GW capacity, and Fastnet, a transatlantic subsea cable connecting Maryland and County Cork targeted for 2028.

AWS AI Factories & on-site stack: AWS will deploy a fully integrated, AWS-managed AI stack inside customer- and government-owned data centers including NVIDIA GPUs, AWS Trainium chips, low-latency networking, storage optimized for large model training/inference, and integration with Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker; AWS retains responsibility for security, systems management, and ongoing operations to meet sovereignty and compliance requirements.
Indiana expansion, Fastnet cable, and utility model: AWS announced a $15 billion expansion in Northern Indiana expected to add ~2.4 gigawatts of capacity and ~1,100 direct jobs, building on an earlier $11 billion investment in St. Joseph County; AWS will fund and construct required grid upgrades in coordination with NIPSCO while insulating local ratepayers, and separately plans Fastnet (320 Tbps capacity) between Maryland and County Cork targeted for 2028 with local Community Benefit Funds at landing points.

Dec 18, 2025

Feds Allow Big Tech to Plug Data Centers Right Into Power Plants

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a unanimous order allowing large tech data centers to effectively colocate and draw power directly from power plants within the PJM mid-Atlantic territory.

Main action: FERC’s order requires PJM Interconnection to develop rates and conditions for multiple colocation scenarios (including with new power plants and existing plants) and may allow big users to pay only for transmission services they use; it stems from a dispute over a proposed colocation between Amazon’s cloud-computing subsidiary and the owner of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant. Key names: Laura Swett (FERC chair), Chris Wright (Trump’s energy secretary). The mid-Atlantic territory covers about 65 million people.
Background and details: The order is pitched as protecting ratepayers while enabling rapid connections for data centers; it was welcomed by power plant owners and supported in part by Advanced Energy United, while Edison Electric Institute said it would “continue to work” on rapid connections. The decision grew from disputes between power plant owners and electric utilities, and FERC may require colocating users to pay to replace diverted energy to the broader grid.

Dec 18, 2025

Environmentalists and Affordability Duke It Out in New York

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has shifted to an affordability-focused energy agenda, approving the NESE natural gas pipeline, reversing opposition to new nuclear, streamlining permitting, and establishing a $500 million Empire AI Consortium to support power-hungry AI capacity in the state.

Main actions and timeline: Hochul approved the NESE natural gas pipeline (reported Nov 2025) and directed the New York Power Authority to pursue a new zero-emission advanced nuclear plant; her administration has streamlined permitting for electric power and transmission infrastructure and announced the Empire AI Consortium — a $500 million public-private partnership to advance AI/data-center capacity in New York. The NESE approval was explicitly framed by Hochul as a return to an “all-of-the-above” policy and is cited by supporters (Breakthrough Institute letter) as likely to lower regional costs and carbon by displacing heating oil.
Background and related developments: The House passed the SPEED Act (sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman) to limit NEPA reviews and expedite permitting; Diablo Canyon received a state permit to continue operating for another 20 years but still needs a final NRC license extension and state legislative approval to operate after 2030. Environmental groups (e.g., League of Conservation Voters, Food & Water Watch) criticized Hochul’s moves in reports and public statements (December 2025 LCV report; quotes from Bill McKibben and Alex Beauchamp).

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