State Sen. George Borrello faced a crowded town hall in Bergen on Thursday evening as dozens of Genesee County residents pressed him on the proposed Stream data center, a $19.5 billion project planned for the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in the town of Alabama.

The meeting turned quickly into a forum on one of the most divisive local proposals in the region. Residents came with questions about what the project would mean, and solar energy became a major part of the discussion at the Bergen Town Hall on Thursday night.

The Stream project has drawn controversy because of its size, its price tag and the location tied to the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park. That combination made Borrello the focal point for people looking for answers about how the plan would move forward and what it would mean for the county.

Solar energy added another layer to the exchange. It was not a side note in Bergen; it was one of the main issues in the room, showing how the data center debate is already pulling in broader questions about power, land use and the future of development in Genesee County.

What Thursday’s meeting made clear is that the proposal is now being judged in public, not just on paper. The next step will be whether Borrello and other backers can answer the concerns that surfaced in Bergen, where the size of the project and its links to the Alabama site have already put it under a harsh spotlight.