By Lloyd Winnecke, CEO, Evansville Regional Economic Partnership

Economic development is not about chasing headlines, ribbon cuttings, or the biggest numbers on a spreadsheet. It is about stewardship. It is about making decisions today that still benefit our region twenty or thirty years from now.

Having served in local government and now working every day to grow our regional economy, I have learned a simple truth: Development only succeeds when it strengthens the place and the people who are already there. That lesson is especially important as communities across the country are courted by large utility load users such as data centers, advanced manufacturing, and other energy intensive industries that promise scale, speed, and significant capital investment.

These projects can be transformational. They can also be disruptive. The difference lies not in whether we say yes or no, but in how we define responsible growth and how disciplined we are in insisting that it delivers real, lasting value.

At its core, strategic economic development begins with a clear standard: Growth must produce a net benefit for the community. That benefit cannot be theoretical or deferred indefinitely into the future. It must be measurable through stronger public finances, better jobs, and greater opportunities for local residents and businesses. When a project requires substantial public infrastructure, utility capacity, or regulatory flexibility, it carries an obligation to give back in proportion to what it takes.

That principle becomes even more critical with large utility load users. These projects place high demands on electric grids, water systems, transmission infrastructure, and public services. Responsible development insists on fairness – those who drive the need for new infrastructure must bear its cost. Existing residents and businesses should not see their utility rates rise or their service reliability decline to subsidize growth. Transparent negotiations, easy-to-understand commitments, and enforceable agreements that protect ratepayers and taxpayers are not anti-business. They are pro-community and pro-stability.

Reliability matters. Communities depend on resilient utility systems for everything from public safety to economic competitiveness. Large energy users must be partners in that responsibility. That means a willingness to align operations with grid realities rather than override them; flexible load management and participation in demand response included.  The most responsible projects recognize that resilience is not a constraint. It is a competitive advantage.

Environmental stewardship is not a talking point. Rather, it is an economic imperative. Water use, emissions, land impacts, and long-term sustainability all shape a region’s future. Communities have every right to expect that new development uses resources efficiently, meets high environmental standards, and aligns with broader goals around conservation. Compliance with minimum regulations is not enough. Responsible development is performance-driven and transparent about goals and outcomes.

Equally important is how projects fit into the physical and social fabric of a place. Land use decisions echo for generations. Once agricultural land is converted or neighborhoods are disrupted, those choices cannot easily be undone. Strategic development respects comprehensive plans, preserves future options, and includes clear expectations for decommissioning or repurposing if market conditions change. We should never mortgage tomorrow’s flexibility for today’s announcement or groundbreaking photo-op.

None of this works without trust, and trust is built through engagement. Communities deserve more than last-minute public hearings and technical presentations filled with jargon. They deserve early, honest conversations about what a project will bring, good and bad alike. Social license is not granted once, it must be maintained over time. That is why community benefit agreements, tied to local priorities like workforce training, emergency services, parks and other amenities, or infrastructure, are so important. They turn promises into commitments and shared expectations into accountability.

Workforce development deserves special attention. Too often, large projects arrive with impressive capital investment but limited long-term employment gains. Responsible economic development ensures that local people gain skills, credentials, and pathways that endure beyond a single project. Partnerships with schools, community colleges, unions, and training providers are not side programs. They are central to success. The goal is not just to attract jobs to Southwest Indiana, but to grow talent here.

Strong governance underpins all of this. Clear rules, predictable processes, and coordinated planning across jurisdictions give businesses confidence while protecting public interests. Ad hoc deals and rushed approvals create risk for communities and investors alike. Disciplined frameworks, transparent metrics, and regular performance reviews allow projects to adapt as conditions change without abandoning accountability.

Risk management is not pessimism. It is realism. Markets shift and technologies evolve. Entire industries can expand rapidly and contract just as quickly. Communities must be prepared for volatility, especially when dealing with large, concentrated utility users. Phased development, review triggers, and strong clawback provisions are tools that responsible leaders use not to deter investment, but to ensure it remains aligned with public goals over time.

Finally, these projects should benefit as many as possible. The benefits and burdens of development are not always evenly distributed. Responsible economic development makes that visible and addresses it directly. Projects should lift the regions that host them, not simply extract value. That means paying attention to where impacts land, who gains access to opportunity, and how growth supports affordability, quality of life, and long-term resilience.

Our region has a history of skepticism regarding large projects and the impacts they could have on our region. Not everyone saw the value of farmland being converted to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Princeton plant. But today we know that Gibson County’s present and future have been preserved and buoyed by this $8B investment and its over 8,000 jobs. This investment not only supports its workers but has brought dozens of suppliers with thousands of more jobs and further induced jobs ranging from teachers to baristas to serve the people who work at Toyota. Indiana’s first commercial casino opened in Evansville, Indiana, following years of heated debate across the city, region, and state. Today, those fears of crime and squalor have been proven to be unfounded, and the tax revenue the casino pays has provided services and amenities to every resident of the region, whether they work at the casino or not. As we face an uncertain future, the ongoing revenue and employment benefits that large investment projects bring need to be considered with as much attention as potential costs and risks.      

Economic development done right is not flashy. It is patient, disciplined, and strategic. It requires saying no to some opportunities so that we can say yes to the right ones. But when we get it right, the payoff is profound. Stronger communities, resilient infrastructure, and a dynamic regional economy that works for everyone.

If a project asks a great deal of a community, then it must deliver a great deal in return. That is not an unreasonable expectation. It is the foundation of responsible growth and the standard our communities deserve.