Residents raise concerns at Microsoft data center info session in LaPorte

LAPORTE, Ind. (WNDU) – Microsoft held a data center information session Tuesday evening as residents raised concerns about the tech giant’s plan to build 17 data center buildings in LaPorte.

Hundreds packed the LaPorte Civic Auditorium Tuesday afternoon for the session. The meeting comes just over a week after the LaPorte City Council moved forward with annexing about 1,000 acres of land from LaPorte County, sitting right next to the ongoing data center project site near U.S. 35.

Data centers are where tech companies store and process digital information. As demand for data grows, companies say they need to build more of them.

Microsoft’s commitments

Microsoft explained its commitment to the community, including limiting water usage with a closed-loop system, creating more jobs and keeping electric bills from rising.

But when asked for specifics on that last promise, Microsoft’s language became more cautious.

“There are a lot of things that impact the cost of energy. What we can…