Michigan City, Indiana's city council introduced a new ordinance that would suspend approval of new data center developments until the city updates its zoning ordinance or until July 31, 2028, explicitly excluding both phases of Google's current project. The new ordinance replaced a prior one that had been tabled, but council members who drafted the original, including Joseph Nelson and Nancy Moldenhauer, complained they were not consulted before the replacement was filed. Council member Bryant Dabney said the pause would allow officials to evaluate Google's project directly for data on noise, water usage, and energy before permitting additional development. Because the new ordinance was not filed in time for a vote at Tuesday's meeting, a formal first reading is scheduled for the next council session.
The dispute illustrates how local governments are struggling to coordinate data center oversight even among themselves, with procedural infighting delaying the adoption of rules as Google's project moves forward. Community concerns about diesel generator emissions, fuel storage, and a planning department reportedly drafting zoning rules without public input signal that Michigan City's process could become a contested template for other small municipalities facing their first large-scale data center developments.
An active municipal moratorium debate signals continued regulatory friction around data center siting; the specific focus on moratorium language suggests a formal vote is imminent, making this timely and distinct from previously published moratorium stories in other cities.