Data centers pose a threat to our access to safe, clean drinking water—a basic human right. As of 2025, nearly 30 million Americans were living in areas with high levels of water limitation. Lack of safe and clean water has lead to dehydration and hunger, economic stress, sanitation issues and disease, wildlife and biodiversity loss, conflict, and more. According to calculations based on Google's own 2025 Environmental Report, the Fort Wayne data center could withdraw 720 million gallons of potable (drinking) water annually.

Data centers can also compromise our ability to breathe air unpolluted by diesel exhaust pumped from industrial diesel-fueled generators. A research paper found that since 2023, the increase in permits for diesel generators at data centers in Virginia has been linked to 14,000 asthma symptom cases and caused as much as $300 million in health care costs. The American Lung Association found that in 2025, Hoosiers are breathing some of the most polluted air in the country.

In a recent study, Bloomberg found that electricity costs as much as 267% more than it did five years ago in areas located near data center activity. Harvard recently published a study titled, “Extracting Profits from the Public: How Utility Ratepayers Are Paying for Big Tech’s Power.” Some Fort Wayne residents have reported increases in their utility bills, ranging from 20% to 100%.

According to The Guardian, a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) states that global energy demands from AI data centers could quadruple by 2030. Existing energy grids are being overwhelmed by data centers’ energy demands and this can result in blackouts, disruption to essential and emergency services, and catastrophic system failures resulting in mass casualties.

The financial burden on our communities also cannot be overlooked. Property values could decline due to risks associated with living near such facilities, such as noise pollution, light pollution, smell and smog from the industrial diesel-fueled generators, impacts on local schools and quality of education, and more. The infrastructure updates necessary to support data centers' massive energy consumption can lead to increased local taxes and utility bills, as additional resources will be required to support the data center’s operation.

It is crucial for our local elected officials to understand the breadth and depth of our concerns. They need to recognize that the alleged benefits do not outweigh the threats to our quality of life and lives themselves. We demand that our voices to be heard. We demand to be involved in the decision-making process from here on out, since we were deliberately kept uninformed when the project was first being introduced to our city officials.

In 2023, several groups and elected bodies were a part of bringing Google and its nearly 900-acre data center campus to our community. City Council voted to award Google tax abatements that will cause the city to lose $55.5 million dollars in tax revenue, and they also allowed Google to begin operations in our city without implementing a Community Benefits Agreement or any protections for the people and families that work and live in our communities.

Join me in standing up for Fort Wayne, New Haven, Allen County, and unincorporated Allen County residents — sign this petition to show our local government officials that there is a substantial amount of concern that deserves respect and attention. We must take immediate actions that prioritize the health, safety, and prosperity of our communities over unregulated corporate exploitation. Our concerns must be taken seriously, and our city's leadership must rise to the occasion and do all within their power to protect us.

Learn more: https://fwdatacenteraction.wordpress.com/