CITY COUNCIL PASSES MAYOR GAHAN’S NEW DATA CENTER BAN

CITY COUNCIL PASSES MAYOR GAHAN’S NEW DATA CENTER BAN

At the request of Mayor Gahan, the New Albany City Council has approved a 1 year ban on the construction of new data centers within the City of New Albany. The freeze will allow the City to study issues including utility demands and their potential effects on electric and water rates, environmental impacts, noise concerns, infrastructure needs, and other issues related to data center development.

Under the new law, no new data center can be constructed within the City of New Albany. The ban will remain in effect for up to one year and could be renewed after that.

Mayor Jeff Gahan is also encouraging Floyd County’s elected officials to adopt similar protections for residents living outside New Albany’s boundaries.

“We encourage Floyd County’s elected officials to follow New Albany and other cities and counties throughout the Midwest by enacting their own data center ban so families throughout Floyds Knobs and Floyd County are protected from unchecked data center development while these important issues are fully studied,” said Mayor Gahan.

Mayor Gahan first proposed the ban in June, citing the rapid growth of data center projects throughout the region and the need to ensure New Albany is prepared before considering future proposals. Councilperson Elaine Murphy sponsored the ordinance before the City Council.

“I believe it’s important to understand how data centers could impact our future,” stated Mayor Gahan. He also thanked members of the City Council and the New Albany Plan Commission for their quick, proactive work.

“As technology continues to evolve, great cities must also evolve, and this proactive step helps us better prepare for tomorrow,” Mayor Gahan said. “Our responsibility is to protect our families, conserve our natural resources, and make decisions that are in the best interest of our people. This action will allow us to do exactly that.”