Greg Martz, a co-developer of a proposed data center in Henry County, stands in a field that is part of the site. Martz said power for the data center would be generated using natural gas from a pipeline along the land’s western border near Ind. 109 and Interstate 70. Caleb Amick | The Herald Bulletin
KNIGHTSTOWN — Data centers come in a variety of sizes, but what they have in common is a need for huge amounts of electricity.
According to the Energy and Environmental Study Institute, the Unites States had more than 2,600 data centers as of 2021, and as of 2023, they accounted for more than 4% of the nation’s power usage.
Some Hoosiers are concerned they will be picking up the tab if improvements to the state’s grid are needed.
In 2025, the Indiana General Assembly passed House Bill 1007, requiring data centers or other heavy power users to reimburse the state for 80% of any grid improvement costs.
Sen. Chris Garten, R-District 45, wanted to build on the state’s momentum with Senate Bill 257, which would have prohibited the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission from approving rate increases resulting from data centers.
The bill was filed on Jan. 8, but didn’t proceed further.
Energy is one of Kiley Blalock’s chief concerns with the proposed data center in Henry County.
Blalock, whose family owns farm land near the proposed site, has been a key part of local opposition to the data center. She and other organizers have formed “No Henry County Data Center,” a website they hope will educate the community about the potential impacts.
She worries that residents’ electric bills will skyrocket as a result of the proposed data center along Indiana 109 near Interstate 70.
“I don’t understand how (developers) are promising that rates won’t go up when they have everywhere in Indiana and across the nation,” Blalock said. According to data from the Citizens Action Coalition, Hoosiers’ electric bills rose 17.5% from 2024 to 2025.
Developer Chris King reiterated that ratepayers would not be impacted. The data center would generate its own power, though it is unclear how much.
King and co-developer Greg Martz explained they would need to know how much a tenant like Google or Meta would need first.
Martz said that power would be generated using natural gas from a pipeline along the land’s western border, using an existing connection line along Indiana 109.
“The plan is, we would generate power on site,” he said. “We’ll be able to produce more power than we need. Rather than take power off the grid, we would be putting it on the grid.”
Blalock described Martz’ claims as “PR spin.” She noted the developers would need to utilize the grid to transmit surplus power.
Installing transmission lines, she said, could result in higher rates for nearby residents. The idea of using existing natural gas lines, she added, could raise concerns related to property rights.
“That pipeline does not run on the data center land,” Blalock said. “None of the property owners have given them permission to cross their land.”
Blalock said she wonders if legal measures like eminent domain would be used to override nearby property owners’ consent.
The issue of transparency also concerns Blalock and others. Data centers enter contracts with electricity providers and grid partners, sometimes without disclosing details like usage amounts.
That was the case in a similar project in Jeffersonville. Meta, the company installing a data center in the River Ridge Commerce Center near Ind. 62, signed a contract with Duke Energy containing a non-disclosure clause.
“It’s considered proprietary,” said Wendy Dant Chesser, chief director of corporate strategy and external affairs at the River Ridge Commerce Center. “It’s something I think we’ve realized could’ve been done more transparently.”
Chesser said Meta is planning to cooperate with Duke Energy for a renewable, clean power supply, but did not elaborate further.
The River Ridge data center is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.
King wants to take a different approach in Henry County. He said residents should be included in the discussion.
Blalock said residents may not know what they’re getting into until after the center is operational — which, she cautioned — could be too late.
© 2026 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.