A $7 billion Amazon data center campus known as Project Rise has been unanimously approved by Jasper County officials in Northwest Indiana, marking one of the largest technology infrastructure investments in the region’s history. The announcement, made Wednesday by the Northwest Indiana Forum, drew both celebration and sharp criticism from local environmental and community groups.
Project Scope and Community Investment
Amazon plans to invest $25 million to expand domestic water service to Wheatfield Township — bringing municipal water to the community for the first time — and will fully fund its water and wastewater infrastructure for the campus. The project is expected to create 250 permanent jobs and generate $98 million in upfront funds plus more than $23 million in new annual revenue during full operation, according to the Northwest Indiana Forum.
Roger Wehner, vice president of economic development for Amazon Web Services, said the company is “committed to building a better future in Indiana.” Amazon will also collaborate with the Shirley Heinze Land Trust to restore 425 acres of natural habitat in the Kankakee River watershed.
Energy Concerns and Opposition
Environmental groups have pushed back hard. Ben Inskeep of the Citizens Action Coalition called the expansion “highly alarming,” saying data centers are “the top threat to grid reliability, affordability and sustainability in Indiana.” Ashley Williams of Just Transition Northwest Indiana said the project is “widely unpopular” and raised concerns about a new NIPSCO gas plant that would emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases annually to power regional data centers.
NIPSCO said its expanded energy agreement with Amazon is expected to save electric customers approximately $1.25 billion over 15 years, with costs recovered through a contract with the data center customer rather than standard customer rates.
Chicago Region Implications
The project reflects the broader data center buildout across the Chicago metropolitan area, where energy demand from AI computing continues to drive infrastructure investment. Between 2024 and 2025, Amazon committed to investing $26 billion in data center infrastructure in Indiana alone.
For the Chicago metropolitan area, the Jasper County project represents both an opportunity and a warning. Data center construction has become one of the fastest-growing sources of capital investment in the broader region, but it also strains utility infrastructure and raises questions about long-term energy costs for residential and commercial ratepayers. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved the NIPSCO-Amazon contract on the condition that costs be recovered from the data center customer rather than standard ratepayers, but watchdog groups argue the deal’s structure could still shift costs over time. Chicago-area utilities face similar pressure as tech companies seek sites with available power and fiber connectivity across the tri-state region.
