FACTS, PLANS, FAQS
All About RAEDEN's Pittsboro Data Center (Project Norman)
With all of the misinformation combined with real reports of malpractice circulating today, community stakeholders and officials must understand how data centers can operate and how they can be designed in ways that support a community. When implemented and operated properly, data centers can be a win for communities, a win for the economy, and a win for Americans in the global race to lead in AI technology. RAEDEN’s Pittsboro data center will use closed-loop cooling, meaning zero gallons of water daily lost to evaporation for cooling computers. The data center and natural gas plant will stay below the Town’s 55 dBA maximum at the property line, verified by third-party monitoring and reporting.
RAEDEN's Pittsboro data center is designed to support local schools, minimize impact to water resources, energy rates, and ambient noise.
0 Gallons Water Evaporation
Closed-loop, non-evaporative cooling system
$0 Local Tax Abatements
RAEDEN will bring new revenue for North West Hendricks Schools and Pittsboro
55 dBA Max at Property Line
Data center and natural gas plant designed to stay below the Town’s maximum
Frequently asked questions
We have gathered the most common questions and concerns raised by community members and elected officials, and we’ve compiled our responses below.
Water usage
Will RAEDEN's Pittsboro data center use a lot of water?
RAEDEN’s facilities use very little water, and Pittsboro will be no different. While older data centers were typically designed with cooling towers that used evaporation to cool computer equipment, cooling technology has progressed, and data center developers can now choose to install closed-loop cooling systems to cool computer equipment. Closed-loop cooling systems only need to be filled once, and then the water is continuously recycled. The cooling system does not lose water to evaporation and very rarely, if ever, leaks. Leaks are prevented by stringent monitoring systems that immediately alert onsite staff. The initial cooling system fill will come from the Town of Pittsboro water system and will be staged over time so it does not strain the system.
What is a closed-loop cooling system?
A closed-loop cooling system consists of a network of pipes, tubes, connectors, chillers, and heat exchangers that are connected in a loop and filled with water and glycol that is continuously recycled to cool equipment. A closed-loop cooling system for a 100MW data center uses about 200,000 gallons of water on day one and then zero gallons of water are needed for daily cooling operations.
How efficient is closed-loop cooling?
Closed-loop cooling systems are not exposed to air and so they do not lose any water through evaporation. Closed-loop cooling is extremely efficient, repeatedly using the same recycled gallons of water to cool IT equipment. Experts measure data center water efficiency using a metric called Water Usage Effectiveness or WUE. Closed-loop cooling systems have a WUE of ZERO.
Do closed-loop cooling systems leak?
Closed-loop cooling systems rarely ever leak. RAEDEN uses double-walled pipes and an intensive leak detection system. Sensors are affixed to all pipes, valves, joints, and cooling equipment. These sensors are integrated with Building Management Software which notifies on-site and remote staff of any potential for a leak. Onsite staff are trained and certified to address and remediate any potential leaks immediately.
How does data center water use compare to industrial and residential use cases?
A data center with a closed-loop cooling system uses FAR less water than most other facilities. Day-to-day water use is similar to that of an office building. Staff consume about 13 gallons of water per day per employee for restrooms, kitchens, and drinking water. (Source: U.S. EPA Energy Star data for office buildings)
- A typical household in the U.S. consumes more than 300 gallons of water per day. (Source: U.S. EPA)
- A typical golf course in the Midwest applies about 13 million gallons of water per year for irrigation, nearly all of it during the spring-fall growing season. (Source: GCSAA 2020 National Survey)
- A fast food joint uses an average of 2,900 gallons per day. (Source: https://www.cleanlink.com/news/article/Report-Shows-Water-Conservation-Matters-In-Fast-Food-Faciities–17501)
- A 100MW data center with open-loop cooling uses about 2.5 MILLION gallons per day. (Source: https://ypsidatacenter.org/how-much-water-does-a-data-center-use/)
- A data center with RAEDEN’s closed-loop cooling: ZERO GALLONS per day for cooling.
Will data centers strain water supplies during drought conditions?
Because the cooling water is continuously recycled, RAEDEN’s cooling system does not draw more water during hot or dry periods.
How can I trust what RAEDEN says about data center water use?
RAEDEN is committed to transparency – we will gladly share our design plans, third-party engineering studies, audit reports, monitoring data, and water bills with the Town of Pittsboro for public review upon request.
Power
Will RAEDEN's Pittsboro data center drive up electricity rates for residents?
RAEDEN will pay for the power it uses and for any grid infrastructure upgrades the project requires, so residents are not asked to cover those costs. The campus also intends to generate a portion of its power on site, which means it will rely less on the local grid. Infrastructure upgrades often benefit residents at no cost to them.
In addition to covering upgrades, data centers make utilities more efficient and cost-effective. Residential electricity use is inconsistent and unpredictable, but utilities must try to predict usage. They must build and hold extra capacity so power is available whenever it is needed. Data centers use power consistently around the clock, 365 days a year, and so use is high and very predictable. With a large-load customer like a data center, utilities can spread their fixed costs over more kilowatt-hours sold.
How much power will RAEDEN's natural gas plant generate?
The on-site natural gas plant will be sized to serve the data center campus. Final capacity will depend on the data center’s design and will be detailed in the air permit application to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), which RAEDEN will share with the Town of Pittsboro.
How is RAEDEN's natural gas plant good for Pittsboro residents?
Generating power on site makes the campus less reliant on the regional grid and more reliable. By producing a portion of its own power, the data center avoids placing the entirety of new demand on the local grid, and RAEDEN pays the full cost of building and operating the plant. The plant also adds assessed real estate value, which means additional tax revenue for local schools and the Town.
Will the natural gas plant pollute the environment?
RAEDEN expects to use modern, high-efficiency natural gas reciprocating engines equipped with best-in-class emissions controls, including Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems that sharply reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The plant will require an air permit from IDEM and will operate within all permit limits. RAEDEN has committed to keep the Town of Pittsboro informed throughout the air permit process and will share its application and modeling with the Town.
Noise
Will RAEDEN's Pittsboro data center be noisy?
Data centers are quieter than most any industrial activity and are quieter than many residential activities, such as mowing and vacuuming. (See question 4 below.) Many people who work in data centers say the server rooms are loud inside, but rooms outside the data hall are quiet. RAEDEN will design the Pittsboro campus so that both the data center and the natural gas plant stay below the Town’s 55 dBA maximum at the property line during normal operations.
What equipment causes noise in data centers?
Noises that can be heard outside of data centers come from back-up generators and cooling equipment (chillers). Back-up generators only run in the event of a power outage and during routine testing lasting no more than 30 minutes once monthly. Noise levels from this equipment can vary greatly depending on a data center’s design and operator’s commitment to keeping noise levels low. At the Pittsboro campus, the onsite natural gas engines are also a source of sound, and they will be housed in sound-attenuating enclosures.
How does RAEDEN attenuate noise levels?
RAEDEN keeps noise levels in its chiller yards and generator yards to a minimum by purchasing and installing sound attenuating add-ons and materials from manufacturers. RAEDEN also encloses chillers and generators with sound-attenuating walls that are padded with sound-attenuating materials. For the Pittsboro campus, RAEDEN will complete a baseline study of existing sound levels at the site, commission an independent acoustical engineering study on the final site design, build substantial landscaped berms designed with input from neighbors, and verify sound levels with third-party monitoring after construction.
In addition to the above, RAEDEN coordinates generator testing times with municipalities to ensure that it occurs at the preferred time of day for residents, even though testing only occurs for no more than 30 minutes once per month.
How do data center sound levels compare to other sounds in the environment?
Data centers are relatively quiet compared to typical city and industrial activities. Data centers with enclosed equipment, like RAEDEN’s, are even quieter.
- Jackhammer: 110-130 dBA
- Bulldozer: 95-105 dBA
- Steel sheet mill: 85-100 dBA
- Lawnmower: 75-100 dBA
- City bus: 70-90 dBA
- Vacuum cleaner: 65-85 dBA
- Air conditioner window unit: 60-73 dBA
- Pittsboro property line maximum: 55 dBA
- Enclosed diesel generator: 50-65 dBA (measured near the unit)
- Whispering: 30 dBA
Source: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/888553O/noise-navigator-sound-level-hearing-protection-database.pdf
Can data center noises have ill health effects?
Sound levels from the data center and natural gas plant will be designed to stay below the Town’s 55 dBA maximum at the property line, which is well below levels associated with hearing damage. For reference, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identifies a 24-hour average below 70 dBA as the level that protects against hearing loss.
How can I trust what RAEDEN says about noise levels?
RAEDEN will gladly share our design plans, engineering studies, audit reports, and monitoring data with the Town of Pittsboro for public review and ongoing compliance upon request.
Jobs, economy, & taxes
How many permanent local jobs will Project Norman create?
The Pittsboro data center will create several hundred permanent jobs, including engineering, security, and administrative roles. Additionally, RAEDEN contracts with local companies for maintenance support and where possible, hires from local trade unions and contracts with local firms to support its facilities.
How many construction jobs will Project Norman create?
Construction of the Pittsboro campus is expected to require more than 800 average annual construction and engineering positions, including skilled labor. RAEDEN works with local unions and trade groups to contract and hire workers.
Will Project Norman receive special tax breaks or incentives?
RAEDEN has committed to the Town of Pittsboro that it will not seek a local property tax abatement for this project, so the data center will pay its full share of local property taxes as part of normal real property assessments.
Once fully constructed, the data center is expected to generate tens of millions of dollars in new property tax revenue every year, with the largest share going to North West Hendricks Schools based on current tax allocations. At a time when local schools are facing state funding cuts and difficult budget decisions, this is significant new revenue that does not come from raising taxes on residents.
The project, or its eventual data center user, may apply for state-level incentives available to qualifying Indiana projects. These do not reduce the local property taxes described above.
Do data centers decrease home values?
Contrary to popular belief, data centers can correlate with higher property values. A recent study by George Mason University found that in Northern Virginia, also known as Data Center Alley, homes closer to data centers sold at higher prices than those further away. Reasons for this, include massive boosts to tax revenue that cover state-of-the-art schools and public amenities and infrastructure upgrades.
Source: https://schar.gmu.edu/news/2025-11/study-home-prices-are-higher-when-house-near-data-center
Other
Do data centers increase neighborhood traffic?
Unlike commercial shopping centers, the increase in traffic resulting from a data center once it is operating is negligible. Because the data center will have a relatively small permanent workforce, its daily traffic is similar to that of a small office building. Construction will bring a temporary increase in traffic. RAEDEN is in the process of commissioning a traffic study that will be shared with the Town of Pittsboro, and is working with the Town, Hendricks County, and the Indiana Department of Transportation on road improvements to serve the site.
Will Project Norman pollute the environment?
RAEDEN’s data center will produce no wastewater, other than that from routine human activity (bathrooms and kitchens). This means there are no contaminants released into the soil or wastewater systems. The only sources of air emissions are the on-site natural gas plant and back-up generators, both of which will be permitted by IDEM. The engines RAEDEN expects to use will be fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems that sharply reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Additionally, back-up generators only run for no more than 30 minutes per month for routine testing and in the event of a power outage.
EVIDENCE
Download charts and presentations
The documents below include data on data center water usage, power infrastructure, noise levels, economic development and RAEDEN’s approach to all of the above.
Still have questions?
Our public affairs team is available to speak with community members, elected officials, and the press.