A new special use zoning district advanced 1 July 2026 that sets setbacks, a 55-decibel noise cap, and mandatory decommissioning and annual reporting for data centres in Marion County.

Why did Indianapolis choose zoning rules instead of a data centre moratorium?

The Metropolitan Development Commission advanced the SU-47 zoning proposal over resident calls for an outright pause, opting to regulate location, noise and reporting rather than block development.

How many Indiana counties restrict data centres?

Close to a third of Indiana's 92 counties have adopted some restriction, ranging from formal ordinances and temporary moratoriums to outright bans in counties such as Marshall and Cass.

Background

Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana and the seat of Marion County, the state's largest city by population. It sits near the geographic centre of Indiana on the White River.

On 1 July 2026 the city's Metropolitan Development Commission voted 5-3 to advance a new special use zoning district, SU-47, for data centres, over resident calls for an outright moratorium. The proposal sets setbacks from protected residential districts, a 55-decibel noise limit, and requires operations plans, utility reports, decommissioning plans and annual public reporting on energy and water use. It heads to the City-County Council, with a public hearing expected 13 July and a possible final vote in August. The move comes amid a statewide wave in which close to a third of Indiana's 92 counties have adopted some form of data-centre restriction, from ordinances to moratoriums to outright bans.