The Northwest Indiana Forum, on Wednesday, announced a new $7 billion Amazon data center campus in Jasper County, called Project Rise.

“Project Rise is a great example of what responsible economic development can look like when community priorities are built into a project from the start,” Heather Ennis, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Forum, said in a news release. “The project will bring new jobs and significant tax base to Jasper County, but just as importantly, it will help deliver game-changing infrastructure that respond directly to regional needs.”

Ennis also thanked the Jasper County commissioners and council for their work on the project. According to Jasper County government’s Facebook page, the council voted on tax abatements for Amazon and Northern Indiana Public Service Company and a resolution to create “a form of enterprise information technology exemption agreement” with Amazon.

Olivia Allen, membership and marketing events director for the Northwest Indiana Forum, said in an email that she does not have the details of what tax abatements or subsidies were offered to Amazon. She said the data center will be located between E 1350 N and County Road 300, located in Kankakee Township.

As part of the project, Amazon plans to invest $25 million to expand access to domestic water service in Wheatfield Township, and it will fully fund its water and wastewater infrastructure for the data center campus.

“For rural communities like Jasper County, finding the funding to upgrade infrastructure can present a serious challenge,” said Rein Bontreger, president of the Jasper County Board of Commissioners. “Amazon’s $25 million investment in local water infrastructure will bring municipal service to the Town of Wheatfield for the first time. This is a transformative investment that responds directly to community need.”

Amazon is also collaborating with the Shirley Heinze Land Trust to restore 425 acres of natural habitat in the Kankakee River watershed, according to the news release. The company also expanded its energy agreement with NIPSCO, which the Northwest Indiana Forum said is expected to save electric customers approximately $1.25 billion over 15 years.

“Amazon is committed to building a better future in Indiana,” Roger Wehner, vice president of economic development for Amazon Web Services, said in the news release. “When we build a data center, we work closely with community-based organizations and local leaders to ensure our investments respond to local needs, whether that be conserving local habitat or upskilling the local workforce for careers in cloud computing and technology.”

According to the Northwest Indiana Forum, Jasper County officials unanimously approved the data center project.

“When businesses invest in Indiana the right way with community support, new energy generation, and infrastructure improvements, it strengthens our state for generations to come,” Gov. Mike Braun said in a news release. “Project Rise is an example of how we can grow Indiana’s economy while continuing to invest in Hoosier communities.”

The project announcement comes after various communities’ opposition to data centers. Ben Inskeep, program director for the Citizens Action Coalition, said in an email that it’s “highly alarming” to see Amazon expand “its massive build-out” of data centers with Project Rise.

“Data centers are the top threat to grid reliability, affordability and sustainability in Indiana,” Inskeep said. “Hoosiers don’t want more data centers being built in our communities.”

That opposition includes Jasper County, where Just Transition Northwest Indiana Executive Director Ashley Williams said the project is “widely unpopular.”

Williams also called the Northwest Indiana Forum’s announcement tactless, according to her email statement.

“But this isn’t about one data center; it’s an endorsement of a potential public health and environmental disaster at the R.M. Schahfer plant, a coal plant set to retire that the federal government revived partly because of the unfolding (artificial intelligence) boom,” Williams said.

A NIPSCO spokesperson has said in previous statements that the utility continues to comply with the U.S. Department of Energy executive order.

Williams also mentioned concerns about a new NIPSCO gas plant in the area, which she says would “emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases” every year and would power data centers regionally.

“Prosperity should not undermine the very communities that have to live with its consequences,” Williams said in her statement. “No amount of economic promises will undo the damage Jasper County residents and farmers face or the legacy that future generations will inherit as NIPSCO and Big Tech profit.”

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management, on June 3, hosted a virtual permit hearing for the site. Previously, NIPSCO confirmed that the permit was for construction of the new combined cycle power plant.

“The project supports growing energy demand, including data center development in the region,” according to NIPSCO’s statement. “The facilities will be developed through NIPSCO Generation LLC (GenCo), a separate entity created to support large-scale generation investments tied to economic growth. The GenCo structure is also expected to provide value to customers by generating more than $1.4 billion in cost savings that will be returned to current NIPSCO customers as credits on monthly electric bills over 15 years. In addition to this economic benefit to customers, the costs associated with the (combined cycle gas turbine) facilities will be recovered through a contract with a data center customer, not through standard customer rates.”

Inskeep, in his statement, added that the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved a “sweetheart deal” between NIPSCO, GenCo and Amazon, which he says “will shortchange existing ratepayers billions of dollars and result in the massive expansion of natural gas power to serve Amazon.”

According to the IURC website, the commission approved a customer contract between NIPSCO and Amazon, which the utility claims will not affect services for NIPSCO’s other customers. The Citizens Action Coalition intervened in the case.

According to the Northwest Indiana Forum, between 2024 and 2025, Amazon committed to investing $26 billion in data center infrastructure in Indiana. The organization claimed the Jasper County campus is expected to create 250 new permanent jobs.

The Northwest Indiana Forum also said that Amazon will provide $98 million in upfront funds and more than $23 million in new annual revenue for 10 years of full operation, according to the news release.

“This project represents years of work focused on preparing Jasper County for long-term investment while protecting the interests of our residents and communities,” Sara DeYoung, executive director of the Jasper County Economic Development Organization, said in a news release.

“Throughout this process, county officials have focused on infrastructure, responsible growth, and ensuring that local benefits are part of the conversation from the beginning. We understand residents will have questions, and we are committed to continuing to provide information and opportunities for public engagement as the project moves forward.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com