Posey County residents had a chance to question Amazon representatives directly this week at an open house about a data center the company is considering building in the county.
The event came about a month after Amazon first signaled its interest at a public hearing on a proposed county data center ordinance, which the area plan commission took up in September and voted on earlier this month.
Amazon officials say Posey County is attractive in part because CenterPoint Energy has excess capacity on its power grid. The company says a facility would be water-conscious, using roughly as much water in a year as nine restaurants, and would comply with local rules on sound, energy use and environmental impact.
Not every resident was sold. Shannon Straw told the company she wants assurances that jobs at the site would go to people who live in Posey County rather than to remote or commuting workers.
Community activist Christopher Newman said he is neither for nor against the project but wants the county to get its ordinance and protections right the first time.
Keith Klein, an AWS director of data center solutions, said the company wants to keep hearing from residents, including critics. Amazon says more public events are likely as its plans develop.
