Kenosha residents share concerns over proposed Microsoft data center

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Concerned Kenosha residents braved the snow to take a stand against the proposed Microsoft data center in the city of Kenosha.

“We would like to delay the construction of the facility, as it has not been built yet, and then we are hoping to eventually get the proposal withdrawn and shut down,” said Olivia Walker, the founder of Kenoshans Unite Against Microsoft Data Center.

Around 240 acres of land in Kenosha were purchased by Microsoft in January.

Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala says the project is a decision that wasn’t made lightly and one he stands by. He says it will bring new jobs and have a positive economic impact on the city.

“My job is to look out for Kenosha, and I believe the due diligence that we did, and the homework that we invested in over a period of many months, led us to the conclusion that this was definitely the right development in the right location.”

However, residents say they are concerned about the long-term health and environmental impacts, voicing their concerns at Monday's Common Council meeting.

“It’s going to impact their everyday life,” said Julia Alberth, the health and equity coordinator with Healthy Climate Wisconsin. “It’s going to impact, as I said, the water that they drink, the air that they breathe, and we want make sure that the data center is going to be able to be accountable to the pollution that it’s putting out into the environment.”

Mayor Bogdala says the data center is expected to use 4,500 gallons of water a day. He says that’s the equivalent of what a restaurant would use on a yearly basis.

The mayor said, “4,500 gallons is equivalent to 10 city of Kenosha homes, so again, I think the impact there is very minimal."

Another concern is who will pay for that extra energy. That's something Mayor Bogdala says they are trying to ensure won’t fall on residents, but details are still being worked out.

In the meantime, those in attendance at Monday's meeting say they will keep showing up at every Common Council meeting to speak out against the data center, hoping the city will change its mind.