The home of Indianapolis City-County Council member Ron Gibson was shot at on Monday, with the assailant leaving a note saying, “NO DATA CENTERS.” Many people have recently been vehemently opposing the construction of data centers, especially as many are concerned about the negative effects it has on the community. These include increased electricity costs and diminished power quality, as well as apprehension about its effect on the water supply. According to CBS News, Gibson supported the proposed Metrobloks data center, but was met with boos when he spoke up about the benefits of the project during a Metropolitan Development Commission meeting last week.
“There are real benefits tied to this development,” Gibson said during the public hearing. “Construction is expected to support roughly 300 jobs over a three-year period.” However, the members of the public who opposed the project were asked to stand up; most of the people in the meeting were seen taking a stand. Despite this, the Metropolitan Development Commission approved the proposed rezoning to accommodate the planned data center. This is not a done deal yet, though, as the proposal still needs approval from the Indianapolis City-County Council, of which Gibson is a member.
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This isn’t the first time members of a community have pushed back against proposed data centers. It has gotten to the point that one company kept the location of its latest data center project secret, explaining that it wanted to spare the small towns from “national media attention.” However, it can get difficult to fight against these AI infrastructure projects, especially as tech companies are willing to pay a premium to get their sites up and running, with one unnamed company offering more than 7 times the average rate in the area for a parcel of land where they intend to build a data center. A farming family in Northern Kentucky declined the $26 million that the tech firm dangled in front of them. Unfortunately, their other neighbors said yes, so plans for an AI data center in the region are still underway.
What’s worrying, though, is that this is the first report of a data center dispute turning violent. Political discussions like this can become heated, especially as people worry that their homes and future are on the line. But even Protect Martindale-Brightwood, one of the neighborhood groups that is against the project, condemned the attack. “Violence has no place in our community or our advocacy,” said the group. “We want to be clear: any signage or messaging at the scene is not affiliated with our organization and does not reflect who we are. Our work is rooted in peaceful, community-led advocacy grounded in respect and accountability.”
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