Data Centers

Editor, Times-Union:
Last April, concerned citizens of Kosciusko County stood up to and defeated a proposed data center on prime farmland near Leesburg. Now Amazon, in conjunction with NIPSCO, wants to spend $15 billion to build new data centers in northern Indiana.
To sell the deal, Amazon says it will pay all the costs for new power plants that will be needed, and Braun and Yakym are promising the data centers will be a massive win for Hoosier ratepayers, saving a billion dollars over 15 years. They reason that the additional infrastructure needed to power the data centers will ultimately lead to more power and lower rates for us all. Energy experts say otherwise.
Ben Hertz-Shargel, who leads electrical grid research at Wood Mackenzie, notes that, because of the increased demand from data centers, utilities will need to build expensive new gas plants. His studies show that “the rates that utilities are looking to charge these data center companies … don’t add up to a big enough number to enable a utility to finance a new gas plant.”
Consumers like us could be on the hook to make up the difference. And, if a data center terminates its contract early, consumers might end up paying for the new infrastructure. You have to wonder why, given these risks, and the strong community opposition to converting farmland to data centers, Braun and Yakym have sided with Amazon and NIPSCO. It's worth noting that Yakym has accepted thousands from Amazon and NIPSCO PACs, and NIPSCO was a big contributor to Braun’s 2024 campaign.
Data centers are driving up utility costs nationwide by increasing overall electricity demand, yet Braun and Yakym would have us believe that more data centers are the solution to our high energy costs. Job creation is another selling point being touted for data centers, but this ignores the millions of jobs expected to be lost to AI, which the centers will facilitate.
Proposing data centers as the solution to lower our utility bills, shows the lengths Republicans will go to in promoting the interests of their donors and billionaires over the needs of working families. It's like their bill they call Big and Beautiful. Beautiful tax cuts for the wealthy, but not so beautiful for the 400,000 Hoosiers estimated to lose healthcare.
People in Indiana are struggling to afford housing, insurance, healthcare, childcare, property taxes, groceries and utilities, yet Republicans are focused on redistricting, DEI, sending the national guard into our cities, and tax cuts for the wealthy.
We need leaders who will put our needs first, and a representative in Congress who will meet with us to hear our concerns and defend their record. Rudy Yakym has yet to hold a town hall. How bad does it have to get for him to do so? Indiana Republicans have shown they are unwilling to address the needs of Hoosiers. Why should they when they believe voters will reelect them no matter what? We have the chance to change that in 2026.
Robert Osbun
Leesburg, via email