KENOSHA — Kenosha residents packed the Rhode Center for the Arts Tuesday night for a community forum on the proposed Microsoft data center planned for a 240-acre site on Highway 142 — making clear they have questions, concerns, and a community that is paying close attention.
The forum was hosted by Kenoshans United Against Microsoft Data Center and moderated by Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens. Topics discussed included environmental impacts, water and energy consumption, noise concerns and what a facility of this scale could mean for the surrounding community.
TMJ4 News has been following this story since January 2025, when Microsoft confirmed to our reporter that it purchased land in Kenosha for data center development.
Watch: Kenosha community packs Rhode Center for forum on proposed Microsoft data center
For resident Kelly MacKay, tonight was about getting answers.
"It'd be nice to know a bit more information about what we could expect from Microsoft in this whole deal," MacKay said. "I'm hoping we might get some insight and also some information about what other communities around the area are experiencing."
Resident Angie Aker also had concerns.
"I am very skeptical of the promises that corporations make about data centers, and the kind of greenwashing they do," Aker said. "I'm definitely against having one in our community."
Julia Peters, one of the event's organizers, says the group has been fighting this project for nearly a year.
"We do not want the data center in Kenosha," Peters said. "We are Kenoshans United Against Microsoft Data Center, and we have been organizing for about a year or so."
TMJ4 News reached out to Microsoft for comment. A spokesperson responded, saying, "We're fully committed to advancing and operating datacenters responsibly in a way that strengthens local communities and generates economic opportunity for the area. We'll be sure to share more information with the community as soon as we have a development plan for this site."
Community feedback from tonight's forum will be forwarded to elected officials.
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