Indiana is home to 147 data centers. But this town has no power.
The short version: More Perfect Union spotlights an Indiana town left in the dark while the state hosts 147 data centers — a stark local snapshot of who bears the buildout's costs.
Our Take
Credit to More Perfect Union for putting a face on a number that usually stays abstract. "147 data centers" sounds like an economic development trophy case until you learn a town in the same state can't keep the lights on. That gap between statewide statistics and street-level reality is exactly the story we track: massive facilities get sited, permitted, and powered up while the communities next door absorb the strain on grids, rate structures, and local services.
We don't have the specifics of this town's utility contracts or interconnection queue position, and we'd caution against assuming one video captures every variable in a notoriously opaque process. But the broader pattern is real and well documented — utilities and developers routinely strike deals for new hyperscale load without full public accounting of who pays for the grid upgrades, and residential ratepayers often end up covering costs that never show up in the press release announcing the project.
If you want to see how many of these facilities are near you and who approved them, check our facility map. And if your town is facing a similar fight over power, water, or land for a data center, our take-action page has resources for making noise before the deal is done.
This is GridWatch the USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of More Perfect Union, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.