DeKalb County IN proposed data center standards (2026)
DeKalb County, IN — Plan Commission Recommends Data Center Zoning Standards Banning Evaporative Cooling and Requiring Municipal Water/Sewer, Following a Six-Month Moratorium (Oct. 7, 2026; Commissioners' First Reading Oct. 12)
DeKalb County, IN · DeKalb County, IN proposed data center zoning text amendment (Plan Commission recommendation Oct. 7, 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Data center developers in DeKalb County planning jurisdiction
- Enforced by
- DeKalb County Plan Commission / Board of Commissioners
DeKalb County, Indiana is close to adopting rules for data centers after a six-month pause that began in April 2026. The proposed rules sort data centers into three tiers, limit the biggest ones to heavy-industry zones, cap campuses at 640 acres, require hookups to city water and sewer, ban evaporative cooling, and set noise and generator standards.
Who is protected: DeKalb County, IN residents
Legal detail
DeKalb County, IN. Moratorium: County Commissioners adopted a six-month development moratorium on data centers and accessory facilities in April 2026, set to expire 2026-10-08 (no extension reported). Text amendment: Plan Commission favorable recommendation Wed. 2026-10-07 (KPC News, Oct. 8). Tiers: Tier 1 (colocation, enterprise, edge) in low-intensity industrial; Tiers 2-3 (hyperscale) only in high-impact districts; max campus 640 contiguous acres; mandatory municipal water and sewer (no private wells/systems); evaporative cooling prohibited; day/night property-line noise limits; emergency generators to highest EPA standards; landscape buffers and equipment siting rules. Next: Commissioners first reading Mon. 2026-10-12; may approve, modify (returns to plan commission) or reject.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | DeKalb County, IN |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Citation | DeKalb County, IN proposed data center zoning text amendment (Plan Commission recommendation Oct. 7, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | KPC News / The Star (Auburn, IN), Oct. 8, 2026 — DeKalb County data center standards |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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