08/12/2026
Why HCEDC Is Evaluating the Opportunities and Challenges of the Data Center Industry-A Message from the Hancock County Economic Development Director-Jill Kramer
Why is Hancock County Economic Development (HCEDC) spending time evaluating the opportunities and challenges of the data center industry when there isn't even a proposal?
It is a fair question—and one we have heard through community conversations, emails, phone calls, public meetings, and social media. We believe it deserves a clear answer.
The answer begins with why HCEDC exists.
HCEDC was created to help strengthen Hancock County by supporting population growth, quality employment, business diversity, private investment, and long-term economic vitality. Our responsibility is not simply to recruit businesses. It is to help our communities prepare for the future by understanding emerging industries, asking difficult questions, evaluating both opportunities and concerns, and helping ensure informed decisions can be made before important opportunities ever arrive.
Every significant opportunity—whether it is childcare, housing, workforce development, manufacturing, business expansion, or an emerging industry—deserves the same thoughtful approach. We listen first. We ask questions. We seek credible information. We evaluate both the opportunities and the challenges before anyone is asked to make important decisions.
We believe the best decisions are made before there is pressure to make them. That means taking the time to understand the facts, ask difficult questions, verify credible information, and avoid feeling pressured to simply say "yes" or "no" before enough is known.
The data center industry is one example of an emerging industry receiving attention across the country. Data centers are secure facilities that support the digital services many of us use every day—from banking and healthcare to education, manufacturing, communications, and precision agriculture technologies such as GPS guidance and GIS mapping. As demand for these services continues to grow, we believe it is our responsibility to understand both the opportunities and the challenges before decisions are ever needed.
Transparency has been one of the community's highest expectations, and we share that commitment. From the beginning, HCEDC has openly explained why we are evaluating this industry, what we know today, what we do not yet know, and the process that would be followed if a proposal is ever submitted. Over the past several months, HCEDC's Executive Director has met with residents, businesses, organizations, elected officials, and community leaders throughout Hancock County. Those conversations continue to shape our research and the expectations we believe should guide any significant economic development opportunity.
There is no decision to be made today because there is nothing to decide. No end user has been identified. No development proposal has been submitted. No development agreement exists.
We are not evaluating this industry because we have already decided Hancock County should have a data center. We are doing so because we believe our communities deserve to understand both the potential benefits and the potential concerns before anyone is ever asked to make a decision.
Being prepared is not the same as being committed. It is responsible stewardship of our community's future.
Our responsibility is not to predict the future. Our responsibility is to help Hancock County be prepared for it. The decisions we make tomorrow depend on the homework we do today.
Community First. Facts First. Future Focused.
Jill Kramer-Executive Director
