FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has approved a major expansion of backup power infrastructure at Google’s data center in Fort Wayne, despite months of community concerns.

According to our partners in news at 21ALIVE, the decision allows Google subsidiary Hatchworks LLC to install more than 140 emergency diesel generators at its campus on Adams Center Road. IDEM finalized the approval on April 10, according to agency records.

The latest approval builds on a 2024 permit that allowed 34 primary generators at the site. In its 2025 application, Hatchworks requested additional infrastructure, including emergency generators, smaller “insignificant” generators as defined by state law, diesel storage tanks, and cooling towers.

Community members raised concerns during a public hearing in November, citing potential environmental impacts and a lack of transparency surrounding the $2 billion project. While IDEM officials gathered public input, they did not directly respond to questions during the session.

A spokesperson for the project said the generators are intended strictly for emergency or backup use, emphasizing that day-to-day operations will rely on power supplied through the electrical grid via an agreement with Indiana Michigan Power.

Environmental concerns have also been tied to related infrastructure projects. In December, IDEM approved a request from American Electric Power to temporarily fill nearly an acre of protected wetlands to build a transmission line supporting the data center. The company has said the wetlands will be restored after construction.

In a separate filing, Hatchworks is seeking approval for the project’s third phase, which would add three new buildings to the campus and could impact protected waterways.

The expansion marks another step in the rapid growth of the Fort Wayne data center, even as questions remain among some residents about its long-term environmental effects.