Off U.S. Highway 421, just outside of Madison, visitors see a welcome center for the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge.
A sun-bleached sign tells its history: it was home to U.S. Army range and weapons facilities at Jefferson Proving Ground in the 20th century. Today, it’s a haven for endangered species and a Globally Important Bird Area.
But its future is unclear, as a hyperscale data center is in the works at the vacant Jefferson Proving Ground.
As the process to build a 7.1 million square foot data center speeds along, it has pitted residents, developers and government officials against each other.
“I feel like the whole ethos of a data center of that scale is very counter to what we care about most here in Madison and Jefferson County,” said Jill Koren, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Concerned Citizens.
Koren and other residents sprang into action after news of the data center became public this spring. Breaking attendance records at county meetings, residents have repeatedly shared concerns about the center’s potential environmental damage, spikes in water and utility usage, and increasing costs for residents.
Their group has taken on a watchdog mentality, documenting government and public responses to the data center. Now, the group is seeking a moratorium on future data centers.
Despite the public outcry, Koren says the people in charge aren’t listening.
“That is the frustrating part,” Koren said. “You want to believe that your representatives — some of whom you know, you've grown up with, are lifelong contributors to the county — you want to believe they have good intentions. And at the same time, you look at the facts that they're stating or not stating, and those things just do not add up.”
The Jefferson Proving Ground is privately owned and was approved for industrial use by county commissioners earlier this year. Commissioners and owners of Jefferson County Proving Ground property didn’t respond to requests for an interview.
The developer of the data center, if one has been chosen, has not been disclosed.
‘County government vs constituents’
The county council has heard about these concerns as it deals with the county’s fiscal future, said Jefferson County Council President Dwayne May. While the council does not give or deny approval for projects such as data centers, the issue has come up in its meetings.
“Here lately, it's almost seemed like it's us in the county government against our constituents,” May said. “It is not, but it feels that way.”
May and residents such as Koren can agree on some things. Rural Jefferson County is known for its natural beauty. May said rolling farmland can quickly turn into winding hills. Madison’s historic downtown curves around the Ohio River, and Clifty Falls State Park brings thousands of visitors each year.
It’s a beautiful place to live and grow up, May said.
“If you thought this place was going to be dried up, dried out, and destroyed, and polluted, and you lived here, and you loved this area, you'd be on the defensive too,” May said.
May, Koren and other concerned citizens have similar worries.
May believes pollution will increase if the data center is built. It’s also possible residents could face higher energy bills, but May said at the same time, Gov. Mike Braun has tried to lower those costs.
“If we get a lot of tax benefits, but your utility bill goes up 50 to 100 percent, are we any better off?” May said. “Well, I think people that live paycheck to paycheck would say no.”
May said council members live in Jefferson County, too, and they’re not going anywhere.
“We're still learning about data centers,” May said. “We may be at some of these meetings right there with them with the same concerns, because we have to pay utility bills, and we're concerned about water usage.”
May and Koren also agree the data center issue moved too quickly through county government.
Unlike Koren, May believes the data center could have a positive impact on the county, especially if the government, residents and developers work together.
“The greater threat to me is us suspecting each other and becoming fearful, which leads to hate and anger,” May said. “I think the divisiveness is a greater threat than the data centers.”
Potential money makers
The council is dealing with Jefferson County’s budget process, May said.
The county has a lot of important projects to fund, May said, such as an HVAC system for the library and emergency services in rural areas. These projects cost millions, at a time when county governments are getting less revenue from property taxes.
“We need to fill that revenue gap,” May said. “That's our concern. How do we do that and not raise taxes?”
A data center might be the answer. The county council approved establishing an Economic Revitalization Area by the proposed data center site, which May called a “dilapidated, rundown old airfield.”
“We're wanting developers to come in and produce good jobs, which raises the quality of life and brings in revenue to close that gap in our budget,” May said.
Owners of the Jefferson County Proving Ground told county officials a data center could generate more than $60 million in tax revenue each year, according to the Madison Courier.
That economic promise is attractive for many local governments. Data center trackerCleanview says there are about 90 planned and operating data centers in the state.
Indiana leaders have been friendly to large tech companies, which say they’ll bring hundreds of jobs and inject money into the local economy. For example, Meta will create a fast-track workforce program in Indianapolis, promising a job at one of its data center worksites.
Data centers, such as Meta’s $10 million site in Lebanon and the proposed $2 billion campus by DC Blox in Indianapolis, provide crucial infrastructure for modern technology. They support the race to improve artificial intelligence, house advanced computers and store massive amounts of digital data.
Though a developer hasn’t been revealed for the former Jefferson County site, the campus totaling more than 550 acres could provide similar infrastructure.
Though it’s enticing to local governments, residents aren’t sold. Born and raised in Jefferson County, Allison Hall said she thinks there’s an overwhelming consensus that the data center approval process lacks transparency.
“I do think that there are false promises that are being made,” Hall said. “I just think that these are happening at such speed that all of the due diligence cannot be happening.”
She said now is the time for citizens to hold developers accountable. Like Koren and other concerned citizens, she’s been keeping an eye on county government agendas.
“My concern is that the developers and the companies are going to be cutting corners and exploiting governments in order to win that race,” Hall said, “Instead of doing things properly and getting proper public comment and visibility to the processes.”
