Warrick County Commissioners, legal counsel and economic‑development staff gathered in a closed executive session on Oct. 16 to hear from Alcoa’s Project Alloy team about a proposed data center on roughly 700 acres of Alcoa‑owned land adjacent to the company’s power plant. The meeting, permitted under Indiana’s Open Door Law, was strictly informational – no vote was taken, no nondisclosure agreement was signed and no commitment was made.
Local ownership highlighted
Commissioner Sarah Seaton praised the fact that the project is being driven by a longtime county employer rather than an outside developer. “I find it kind of exciting that it’s not somebody coming from outside here. It is here. They are Warrick County. They live and work here,” Seaton said, underscoring the vested interest Alcoa has in the county’s success.
Project Alloy basics
Based on the development team’s letter of intent, Project Alloy would develop only a portion of the 700‑acre parcel, leaving the remainder as open separation from neighboring properties. Alcoa says it already has a prospective end user and expects no adverse impact on its existing Alcoa or Kaiser operations.
The county’s due‑diligence review will examine environmental conditions, water supply and cooling, electrical demand, grid impacts, threatened and endangered species, geological and mine‑subsidence risk, drainage and floodplain issues, traffic, noise, lighting, air emissions and fire‑protection needs. Detailed studies are not expected until the first half of 2027, and the county will not fund those studies. Officials said they will request that any completed studies be shared publicly if the project proceeds.
Draft data‑center overlay ordinance
Separately, the County Commissioners and Area Plan Commission have been drafting a permanent data‑center ordinance that would apply to any future data‑center proposal, not just Project Alloy. The proposed “Data Center Overlay” (DC‑O) zoning district would require a site‑specific rezoning approved by elected commissioners, preventing a data center from being approved through a special exception that bypasses legislative oversight.
The draft includes numeric standards for lighting, water use and noise, and gives the commission the authority to reject a project that does not fit the county’s needs or that would unduly burden local roads and utilities. Seaton explained, “Is it a good fit not just for the county, but for their specific site? Is it a good fit for the neighbors in the area? What is it going to do to local roads, traffic and things like that?”
Public input encouraged
Officials plan two formal public hearings where residents can comment on lighting, water and noise concerns. Seaton acknowledged the issue has divided some community members but believes many are still undecided. “It’s a polarizing issue, but I also believe that there are a lot of people in the middle, like us, that are just trying to find the right answers,” she said.
The commission has made clear it will not sign nondisclosure agreements for data‑center proposals and has asked the development team to launch a public‑facing website to keep residents informed. Updates on the review process and upcoming public proceedings will be provided as they become available.
Looking ahead
While the project remains in the due‑diligence stage, county leaders stress that the draft ordinance is intended to provide a permanent framework that protects Warrick County’s interests while allowing future data‑center projects to be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis. “We wanted to finish this up and get something in place that protects the county but also allows us to look at these projects as they come along,” Seaton said.
Original reporting: 14 News WFIE Evansville (news) — read the source article.
