During the May 21, 2026 Planning Commission meeting, Commissioner S. Hornbuckle raised concerns about large data centers being proposed in nearby counties and referenced a proposed data center in Ottawa and the County’s involvement in Proximity Park. He urged consideration of a ban or moratorium on data centers due to heavy power consumption and possible utility cost increases for residents, prompting discussion about what the County can regulate outside city limits.Planning Director Nathan Boyd agreed that a ban on data centers could be considered and discussed with the County Commissioners and Administrator, indicating that staff-level policy exploration is likely to follow. For vendors, this signals early-stage policy and planning activity around data center siting, utility impacts, and land-use strategy, where outside expertise in zoning, infrastructure planning, utility impact analysis, economic development, and community engagement could be relevant. A practical next conversation would focus on helping the County evaluate regulatory options, model infrastructure and rate impacts, and develop defensible policy frameworks for future data center or similar high-load facilities.

Discussion specifically called out Proximity Park and nearby counties’ experiences with data center proposals; Miami County was mentioned as currently dealing with a data center issue.