Elkhart city leaders are putting the brakes on new data centers and battery energy storage facilities.
The City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a moratorium on new applications while officials study the potential impact of the developments. Dozens of residents spoke in favor of the pause, with some calling for a permanent ban.
Council members say they want regulations addressing issues such as noise, water use and electricity demand in place before considering future projects.
The move comes as developers have already expressed interest in Elkhart, including a proposed investment of more than 120-million dollars at a vacant industrial property.
The moratorium runs through Dec. 31, 2027.
1 comment
Has anyone looked into the organizations supporting a ban on data centers? They are funded by the Chinese Communist Party. Like it or not we are in an economic war with China. The future is data centers. Data Centers are big but no bigger then the tall building in cities. They can be regulated and the water use can e mitigated with a closed loop system which reuses the same water over and over. The power use can be mitigated also.