Knightstown-area data center advances after Henry County zoning vote

A proposed large-scale data center near Knightstown cleared a major county zoning step Jan. 28, 2026, when Henry County commissioners voted 2-1 to approve a planned-unit-development outline for the project.

The site is near Interstate 70 and State Road 109, outside the town of Knightstown. The county action advances the development into a longer planning and design process, but it is not final construction approval.

Commissioner Susan Huhn cast the lone no vote. The decision followed more than a year of discussions, public meetings and planning-commission hearings about the proposal.

A project with a large potential footprint

Developer Chris King has estimated that the site could support roughly one gigawatt of generation capacity. He described that potential scale as about 5% of Indiana’s total generation capacity.

That is an estimate of potential generation capacity, not a confirmation that the project will generate or use one gigawatt. The final building configuration, power arrangements and operator remain part of the planning work ahead.

The project’s scale has been a central issue in the discussions surrounding it. A regional report said developers participated in more than 100 meetings with residents and officials over two years. Those meetings came alongside the county’s public process, including hearings before the planning commission.

What the approval changes

The vote moves the project beyond the county’s initial zoning decision and into a phase where its design and operating details can be developed. The approval establishes a path for continued planning; it does not set a construction schedule or confirm that construction will begin.

For the Knightstown area, the proposal could shape future land-use decisions near the interstate and state highway. It could also bring further questions about electricity demand, roads, employment and the county’s future tax-base decisions.

Residents have raised concerns about the project’s size and potential effects. The discussions have involved local officials and community members as the county considered a development near, but outside, Knightstown’s municipal boundaries.

The immediate next step is continued planning and design. The final construction timetable, building arrangement and other operating details will be determined as that work proceeds.