Help Us Fight the Destructive Impact of Data Center Development in Morgan County, Indiana

Morgan County, Indiana is facing a critical decision that could have lasting impacts on our rural community and environment. A proposal for a massive data center development threatens to strain our already limited resources, damage the environment, and forever change the rural character of our land. But we can still make our voices heard – with your help.

The Problem: A large-scale data center is proposed to be built in Morgan County. While the developers and local officials claim the project will bring economic benefits, the true costs are steep and cannot be ignored.

Data centers are among the most energy-intensive operations in the world, consuming vast amounts of electricity that will put an unbearable strain on our local energy grid. In fact, this data center is expected to use millions of gallons of water every day (approximately 5 million gallons per day) and emit noise levels of around 60 decibels—roughly the sound of an air conditioning unit running continuously. The environmental consequences are severe, and the long-term effects on our health and quality of life could be disastrous.

But the harm doesn't stop there. Data centers also prevent other types of future development due to the pressure they put on our water, sewer, and energy infrastructure. And, let’s not forget the long-term toll on our local roads—especially Keller Hill Rd and SR 42, which will be burdened by construction traffic over a 4-8 year period with no contingencies for using local labor.

The Legal Fight: We are needing to secure legal representation to fight this reckless development. The local zoning decision that approved the data center was made without adequate public notice and failed to consider environmental impacts. The developers have bypassed crucial checks and balances, including the Indiana Open Door Law, and violated the due process rights of the residents by not providing a platform for meaningful public participation.

Under Indiana Code IC-36-7-4-1016, we have 30 days to file a petition for review and argue that the rezoning decision was arbitrary, capricious, and in violation of due process. This is our opportunity to ensure our voices are heard and demand accountability from the developers and the economic development executive director who submitted a tax incentive application, which could provide up to 50 years of tax breaks for the project.

Why This Matters: Data centers are not like typical commercial or residential developments—they are highly specialized and resource-intensive structures that create few jobs. The majority of the workforce is remote, and there is no plan to employ local businesses for construction, despite the massive 4-8 year construction timeline. Local roads will be overwhelmed with traffic, and our community’s resources will be spread thin.

In addition, the tax incentives being provided to the developer could lead to further unfair burdens on our local economy and infrastructure. These tax breaks are designed to encourage development, but the costs of this data center will not be felt solely by the developers. We, the residents of Morgan County, will be left to bear the brunt of the long-term consequences.

How You Can Help: We need funds to secure experienced legal representation and to file the necessary petitions to challenge the rezoning decision. Your generous donation will allow us to take this fight to court, pressure the developer for accountability, and push for more transparent and thoughtful decision-making from our local government.

The stakes are high, and the window of opportunity is short. With your support, we can protect our community and our land from irreversible damage.

Every contribution, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to holding the developers and local officials accountable for their actions. We need your help to ensure that Morgan County remains a place where future generations can live, work, and thrive without being overshadowed by a destructive and unneeded data center.

Donate today and stand with us as we fight for our community, our environment, and our future.

The first phase of this fight is to file a lawsuit to challenge the decision to re-zone the site from agricultural to commercial. The zoning decision was made on February 18th, and we have only 30 days to petition it. We are against a tight deadline, as the window will close this Thursday, March 20th.

After consulting with several attorneys, we have finally found one we believe will represent us in the way we deserve. We received confirmation today, and now we are asking for enough funds to cover filing and support the initial stages of the lawsuit.

Please note, while nothing is guaranteed, we all have far more to lose. We are asking for $5,000 for the above. If we do not meet this initial goal, we will refund all donors. The Go Fund Me page will be updated as future legal fees arise.

We cannot guarantee this will be the end, but once again, we have far more to lose, and this is our best shot.