This webinar explored current science and policy relating to the development and running of data centers in Indiana with emphasis on water, energy and the environment.
A recording of this seminar is available here.

Speakers:

Landon Marston: Associate Professor in the Charles Edward Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech and an Affiliate of the Global Change Center. His research investigates the complex interactions between water and society, aiming to advance sustainable, resilient, and equitable water resources management. Dr. Marston and his team use process-based and data-driven models to examine water use and scarcity across sectors and scales, from local water users to national infrastructure and policy. His work has received multiple honors, including the US National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the American Geophysical Union Hydrologic Sciences Early Career Award. Prior to academia, Dr. Marston worked in both public and private sectors of water resources engineering. 

Ben Inskeep: Program Director, Citizens Action Coalition, an Indiana-based consumer and environmental advocacy organization. At CAC, Ben works to hold Indiana utilities and other large polluters accountable and protect Hoosier ratepayers from the growing affordability crisis. As part of that work, Ben has extensively researched and analyzed AI data center proposals in Indiana and testified in related cases before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. 

Sam Carpenter, Director of the Hoosier Environmental Council. Sam has served as Executive Director of Hoosier Environmental Council since December of 2022. Sam supports and provides leadership for HEC’s staff and actively engages with and supports the board of directors. Sam primarily focuses on climate and energy and is passionate about leaving a sustainable world for future generations. Prior to his time with HEC, Sam served as Executive Director of Global Gifts, a non-profit fair trade social enterprise organization. In addition, he has consulted with small businesses and nonprofits on strategic planning, business turnarounds, and growth strategies. In 2010, Sam was named one of Indianapolis’ “Forty Under 40” by the Indianapolis Business Journal. 

Moderator:

Bill Blomquist: Blomquist is Water Policy Coordinator for the White River Alliance, a multi-stakeholder nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis and dedicated to protecting and improving our water resources. Bill previously served on the Alliance’s board of directors. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at Indiana University’s Ostrom Workshop and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Indiana University-Indianapolis.

Co-sponsored with HEC, the White River Alliance, IU's Environmental Resilience Institute and the Indiana Water Research Resource Center.  

A recording of this seminar is available here.