Citizens Action Coalition

06/23/2026

Great info from Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University!!

Indiana communities continue to discuss and debate how to integrate data centers into economic planning and ensure these facilities support community priorities.🔒

Here are a few county-level approaches local governments have taken in recent months:

🔑 Regulatory ordinances: 11 Indiana counties have passed ordinances that concern noise and light pollution. Some of these ordinances are more restrictive than others, such as Parke County, which mandates a separate electric system for prospective data centers.
🔑 Temporary moratoriums: Currently 17 counties in Indiana have passed moratoriums to halt data center proposals to provide more time to study community impacts of these facilities.
🔑 Permanent bans: Marshall and Cass counties issued complete bans on data centers, meaning no facilities can be sited in these counties.

With a couple dozen data centers currently proposed or under construction throughout the state, now is the time for Hoosiers to decide how these energy-intensive facilities fit into their plans.

Check out ERI's data center fact sheet for an overview of potential impacts and requirements: https://eri.iu.edu/resources/fact-sheets/data-centers.html

06/23/2026

In Marion County, 41% of households don't have enough resources to afford basic needs like housing, food, health care or transportation, according to a study by the United Way.

The average Marion County electric bill has already gone up more than 25% over the past five years.

The IURC settlement approval handed down last week drew harsh criticism from Governor Braun, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC), state Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) and others.

"From where I sit, this situation is a call for more policy from the Indiana General Assembly," Kerwin Olson, executive director of consumer advocacy organization Citizens Action Coalition, tells Axios.

"We remain one of the very few states where our regulators are not directly elected by the public or confirmed by one or both chambers of the General Assembly. These regulators are effectively unaccountable for the public."

Read more from Axios at axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/06/23/aes-rate-hikes-hit-struggling-hoosiers

06/22/2026

🚨 BREAKING: CITIZENS ACTION COALITION: IURC MUST PRIORITIZE PUBLIC INTEREST IN AES INDIANA DATA CENTER PROPOSAL. We filed testimony recently, asking the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (“IURC”) to modify AES Indiana’s proposal for serving a Google data center in Monrovia, Indiana. Our testimony emphasized the importance of transparency from both the and the utility, as well as ensuring the data center pays its full and fair share of costs now and into the future. CAC concluded that modifications to the proposal are needed to better protect Hoosier ratepayers and ensure consistency with Indiana statute and the public interest. Our Ben Inskeep says, “The Commission should modify AES Indiana’s deal with Google’s Monrovia data center so that it is required to pay its full and fair share of costs and existing AES Indiana ratepayers receive the entire benefit to which they are entitled. A multi-trillion-dollar company like Google must be transparent with the community, pay its full costs, and be held accountable by regulators.” Hearings begin August 5th. We'll keep you updated.

06/22/2026

Join us this Wednesday, 6/24 at 12 Eastern! Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_JdK0dM1lQ_-lFYM4IpQAJw

🔌 Utility Affordability 101: Barriers, Impacts & Pathways Forward

Indiana families are feeling the squeeze of rising utility costs, and the burden is hitting low income households the hardest. Join us for a powerful conversation on what’s driving the crisis and what real solutions could look like.

Featuring:
Kerwin Olson, Executive Director, Citizens Action Coalition
Olivia Smith, Policy Analyst, Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute

They’ll break down:
- The current state of utility affordability in Indiana
- How energy burden impacts families and communities
- Policy and regulatory barriers that are keeping costs high
- Practical pathways to make energy more affordable

Whether you’re a service provider, advocate, policymaker, or community member, this webinar will equip you with a clearer understanding of the crisis and the pathways toward a more sustainable energy future for Hoosiers.

🗓️ Wednesday, June 24
⏰ 12:00–1:00 PM
🔗Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JdK0dM1lQ_-lFYM4IpQAJw

06/21/2026

New Albany will hold a public meeting on the moratorium Monday, June 22, at 2 p.m. at city hall. ❤

Read more from WDRB News at wdrb.com/news/new-albany-takes-next-step-toward-1-year-data-center-moratorium/article_0181c758-6953-47c7-a2ba-cbae5c60c033.html

06/21/2026

We'd love to have you join us on Wednesday, 7/1 for a peaceful rally encouraging Indy officials to pass a data center moratorium instead of weak regulations! ❤

📅 Wednesday, July 1
⏰Rally @ 12 PM / Metropolitan Development Commission hearing at 1 PM
🏛️ City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St., Indy, 46204
❤️ Wear red to show solidarity ❤️
📣 Please visit citact.org/act.indy.dc.moratorium to encourage the MDC, the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD), and Mayor Hogsett to pass a data center moratorium via email.

We'd love to see you there!

06/20/2026

We'd love to have you join us in Posey County next Saturday, 6/27 at 1 PM Central for a community forum on data centers!

Invite your friends: facebook.com/share/18VtJ6cm15/
Urge Southwest Indiana officials to pass a data center moratorium: citact.org/act.nodc.swin

06/20/2026

🎯🎯"What we've seen is big industry getting the red carpet rolled out for them year after year. We put big corporations on a pedestal and throw Hoosiers to the wolves. So I don't think they're looking out for the everyday Hoosier," said our organizer Bryce Gustafson, when asked if public officials are working for the people of Northwest Indiana.

Read more from Fox 32 Chicago at fox32chicago.com/news/indiana-protesters-data-centers-gov-mike-braun

06/19/2026

Hoosiers can't afford to subsidize wealthy corporations!!!

For more, follow our Program Director Ben Inskeep: x.com/Ben_Inskeep/status/2067597958393004457

06/18/2026

We are grateful for the thousands of Hoosiers who spoke up about the AES rate hike. The IURC decision is not the outcome we were striving for, but we will continue to do everything we can to advocate for affordable utility service for ALL Hoosiers. ❤