Lights Stay on at Data Centers while Residents are Left in the Dark Across Indiana and Tennessee
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August 24, 2026
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Lights Stay on at Data Centers while Residents are Left in the Dark Across Indiana and Tennessee
Sabotaging Our Safety Calls for Data Center Moratorium as Tens of Thousands Remain Without Power
GARY, Ind. and MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Across the country, tens of thousands of Americans are without power in the scorching August heat: 10,000 residents of northern Indiana are now nearly two weeks without power, while 44,000 households are waiting for the lights to come on in Memphis after storms knocked out the power three days ago.
When storms hit, the electric grid is part of the critical disaster response infrastructure. In recent years, the grid has been rebuilt to prioritize powering data centers over providing resilient energy for residents. In Northwest Indiana, for example, the Northwest Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) budgeted an estimated $7 billion on powering massive data centers for Amazon while failing to keep the lights on – or restore power in a timely way – for tens of thousands of residents.
“The Progressive Community Church was one of the only buildings that maintained power because of our solar panels and battery backup, demonstrating why I have been advocating for investment in sustainable energy sources in our neighborhoods,” said Pastor Curtis Whittaker of Progressive Community Church in Gary, Indiana. “The people of Northwest Indiana have been dealing with spoiled food, losing access to critical medications and, in some cases, paying as much as $100 per day to run generators at a time when households do not have any extra money to spare. That’s why the Faith CDC and other local community organizations are working around the clock to provide people with basic necessities like food, clean water and clean clothes. NIPSCO is nowhere to be found, and people are still trapped in their homes without power.”
“It’s unconscionable that these utility companies move heaven and earth to power big tech data centers but can’t keep the lights on for seniors who need to keep their medicines refrigerated,” said Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson, who together with his brother, KeShaun Pearson, fought to stop the xAI Colossus project in Memphis. Pearson is now running for Congress on a platform of data center moratoriums, a federal jobs guarantee to offset AI-related job losses, and public ownership of and accountability for energy production and utility regulation.
The fine particulate pollution emitted by the xAI Colossus Data Center has been linked to asthma and heart attacks, according to an analysis from EmPower Analytics Group. The combination of rising utility prices, prolonged outages, and increased exposure to dangerous pollution only adds to the mounting pressure on the Trump administration and other public officials to prioritize affordability issues, grid resilience, and responsible disaster response – not giveaways to AI and big tech.
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About Sabotaging Our Safety
The Trump administration and its state allies are Sabotaging Our Safety by dismantling disaster preparedness response services. From hurricane-battered coastlines to flood-ravaged plains, millions of Americans face growing threats while the Trump administration cuts federal emergency response capabilities and extreme governors fail to provide real leadership when disasters hit their states. We're holding them accountable.
