La Porte commissioners seek details on Microsoft data center’s water, power and noise plans

Members of the La Porte City Sustainability Commission discussed a planned Microsoft facility that they said will arrive in the coming years and asked staff to collect technical details on water use, cooling systems, power supply and potential noise impacts.

Commissioners said they want department heads to describe how the city expects to manage water demand and electrical connections for the data center project and whether the company’s plans rely on closed-loop cooling or recycled water systems. A commission member asked for information about where Microsoft would draw water and whether planned reuse would “just dump and pump” or use recirculation; another noted the facility’s power needs connect to local utilities.

Commissioners referenced recent dry conditions and lower lake levels in the area as part of their concern about water sustainability. They also discussed electricity demand for data centers and noted broader statewide attention to resource use by large computing facilities. One commissioner said noise has been a concern at other, smaller facilities but that Microsoft’s planned campus is not near much housing, which may limit noise impacts.

As follow-up, the commission asked staff to request information from department heads and to include Microsoft’s site, water and power plans in upcoming briefings. Commissioners discussed aiming to gather answers before the next meeting so they could prepare questions and possibly invite company or utility representatives to appear.