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Home My WebLink About08-20 Utilities Committee Public Comments FILEDData Center and Large Development Commentary Did you know we have had four data centers operating in our community for roughly 20 years that use environmentally responsible practices? I think we should be asking a bigger question: What standards should South Bend require of ALL major developments going forward? I would like to see an ordinance establishing sustainability requirements for large-scale projects, particularly when those projects receive TIF or tax abatements If taxpayers are investing in a project, we should receive benefits in return that keep future generations in mind and reduce utility use. Written agreements need to establish standards for water conservation and reuse, energy efficiency, renewable and low-carbon energy, stormwater management, emissions, noise, heat mitigation, and other environmental impacts. And these should not simply be promises. They need to have meaningful enforcement provisions. Using scarred-land-first is true RE-development. South Bend has former industrial sites, brownfields, abandoned commercial properties, paved properties, and other previously disturbed land. Prioritize those properties before consuming viable raw land. Every acre of previously damaged land that we successfully redevelop is an acre we bring back into productive use. Every acre of viable undeveloped land that we preserve is something we leave for future generations. On Monday Council will most likely rubber stamp an eight-year abatement for $1,158,291 for a massive warehouse project that will cover farmland with no required sustainability features. Are you okay with that? If not, contact your SB Council people. Those are YOUR TAX DOLLARS. This shows why South Bend needs an ordinance requiring large, subsidized projects to include enforceable sustainability conditions before public incentives are granted. These companies keep claiming "corporate poverty" saying being sustainable causes them financial hardship. Is that what you plan to tell your kids, grandkids and great grandkids? We continue to sell out to industries that leave our air, water and land even more polluted. Look at all the Brownfields and polluted areas we are dealing with decades later. How much cancer have these areas caused over the years? Lead poisoning? Do we keep doing this? Other data centers are doing it. Notre Dame is doing it. • Geo-thermal • Solar on the Roof • Vertical Wind Turbines • Noise Mitigation Filed in Clerk's Office • Rainwater Capture on Roofs . • Native Plantings :~:::~:·. A. U G 2 0 2026 • Dark Sky Lighting Bianca Tirado • Carbon Sync Concrete City Clerk, South Bend, IN • High Insulation • Water Treatment on Site -Not dumped to municipalities for treatment • Repurposing the Heat to Greenhouses Let's use this opportunity to create something that protects both economic development and the people who will call South Bend home long after all of us are gone. WRITE THESE ORDINANCES NOW. Look at the map to see what the last generations of businesses left us. (Link provided below) MAGOG has documented all the pollution left behind by polluting corporations. You can see them here: https://www.arcg is.com/apps/dashboards/cbe38e66d 1704244908eefa268de427 4# https://engage.macog.com/regional-brownfields-coalition https://atlas.co/blog/how-to-find-brownfield-sites-on-a-map/ https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-brownfields https://www.usgbc.org/l eed/rating-systems/new-buildings #DataCenters #pollution #industries #SouthBend #redevelopment #sustainability l o I I NOIAN1\ ------~ .h r r-----..:..';ii--___ • <f I I ~ ...J lU • ,, -• 2 Cree~ • '<-'-ief ,:,'o 7.>~ ~'+-+-~ So many previous pollution sites'you can barely see "South Bend11 on the map! Time for TIF & Abatements to t,e ~esponsible '° future generations and stc!P Pot."11o Creek . , poU ~ting air,swater, land while cau/: sing illness with contaminants. Nortl1 Li berty I • • ake'lille • ) S T,/JOSEP;.., I Ntit .\NA t'k.-•C,.1 rl 1·· It' • Ill ~ • c,~1.!'h ..;z • . ·•• ~!> ' -:F' ~ • ' • • " .So, many :pire:vious p0Hutio1n sites 'you can bar,ely see ns.outh Bendu on the map! I , i}" ~ Time for TIF & Abatem·ents to be tesponsible ·,o future generations and stdp F ~ \.Jl..,"' Ii ' j . .· l . . • G."' p,olluting airfwater, land while ca~sing illness with ·contam:inants. l~orlh Ll~!ly • Vt/a ~:.:-1 rtEa • Filed in Clerk's A 1 1..... 2 o l'l•o• "':b"' ,-~IJb { L Bianca Tirado tee City Clerk, South Bend, IN Practical list of additional ways data centers can be made more environmentally responsible Energy & Power □ Purchase or generate 100% renewable electricity (solar, wind, hydro, nuclear) □ Locate near existing clean-energy sources to reduce transmission losses □ Use long-duration energy storage (grid batteries, thermal storage) □ Participate in demand response to stabilize the grid during peak load □ Use high-efficiency power supplies and transformers □ Design for ultra-low PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) □ Recover and reuse UPS battery heat □ Use DC power distribution where feasible (reduces conversion losses) Cooling Innovations □ Use outside-air "free cooling" in cold climates □ Direct liquid cooling to chips (far more efficient than air) □ Immersion cooling (servers submerged in dielectric fluid) □ Use reclaimed or non-potable water instead of drinking water □ Seasonal thermal storage (ice or chilled water) □ Radiative cooling (dump heat to night sky) □ Use seawater, lake water, or treated wastewater where available □ Al-optimized cooling control systems □ Capture and reuse condensate water from HVAC systems Waste Heat Utilization (Expanded) □ District heating for nearby homes or businesses □ Industrial process heat supply □ Aquaculture (fish farming) □ Food production (greenhouses, vertical farms) □ Snow-melt systems for nearby roads/sidewalks □ Absorption chillers to generate cooling elsewhere Water Stewardship □ Net-positive water systems (return more water than used) □ On-site wastewater treatment and reuse □ Stormwater management ponds that support habitat □ Permeable pavement to reduce runoff □ Xeriscaping to minimize irrigation □ Real-time water monitoring to detect leaks □ Water-neutral or water-positive certification targets Filed in Clerk's Office !\: :·. Al r, 2 0 2026 b~•p .. I V Bianca Tirado City Clerk, South Bend, IN Building & Site Design o Reuse brownfield or previously developed land □ Compact vertical design to reduce land footprint □ Reflective or "cool" roofing to reduce heat island effect o Green roofs or living walls o Wildlife corridors and habitat preservation □ Dark-sky compliant lighting □ Flood-resilient construction o Modular construction to reduce waste o Low-carbon concrete and recycled steel Materials & Circular Economy o Design for component reuse and recyclability o Use refurbished IT equipment where appropriate o Closed-loop recycling of servers and electronics o Minimize rare-earth material use o Low-toxicity construction materials o Supplier sustainability requirements o Take-back programs for retired hardware Grid & Community Integration o Build or fund new renewable generation locally o Microgrid capability for resilience o Share backup power with community during emergencies o Support local grid upgrades o Co-locate with industrial users that can share heat or energy o Provide community resilience hubs Transportation & Construction Impacts o Electrified construction equipment where possible o Rail transport of materials instead of trucking □ EV-only fleet for operations staff □ On-site EV charging powered by renewables o Encourage remote operations to reduce commuting Biodiversity & Land Stewardship □ Restore native prairie, wetland, or forest habitat □ Pollinator-friendly landscaping □ Avoid pesticide use o Bird-safe building design □ Long-term conservation easements on unused land □ Soil carbon enhancement practices Operational Practices □ Al-optimized workload scheduling to align with renewable availability □ Shift computing tasks to times of low grid demand □ Carbon-aware computing ( run workloads where power is cleanest) □ Continuous environmental monitoring and public reporting □ Third-party sustainability certification (LEED, ISO 14001, etc.) Cutting-Edge / Emerging Options □ Co-location with small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) □ Geothermal power generation on site □ Underground or underwater siting for passive cooling □ Hydrogen fuel backup instead of diesel generators □ Carbon capture for onsite emissions (if fossil backup used) □ Biofuel or renewable diesel for emergency systems Particularly High-Impact Measures (If You Want a "Top Tier" List) If policymakers asked for only the most meaningful improvements, these deliver the biggest environmental benefit: □ 100% clean power supply □ Advanced liquid or immersion cooling □ Waste-heat reuse □ Water-neutral or water-positive operation □ Ultra-low PUE design □ Renewable energy built locally □ Closed-loop cooling systems □ Brownfield siting instead of greenfield land