CHAMPAIGN — Hyperscale data centers are popping up around the Midwest as developers search for places where power is readily available.
In Champaign County, discussions about these large data centers have also gained traction as residents worry about water usage and environmental impacts.
In April, the county implemented a 1-year moratorium on large data center construction. The Champaign County Data Center Activities Task Force was formed to propose guardrails for large data centers after the ban is lifted.
An outright ban on data centers would put the county at risk of lawsuits from developers, according to task force members.
“We do not have the legal authority to ban data centers; I want to make that really clear,” said Emily Rodriguez, vice chair of the Champaign County Board who also serves on the task force, at a public task force meeting Monday, Aug. 31.
So instead of a ban, the group has proposed an ordinance aimed at protecting the county’s residents and natural resources.
At the meeting, area residents had the chance to share their thoughts on the issue. Dozens of people filled the room at the Scott Bennett Administrative Center, and many took the mic to share concerns that the proposed ordinance is not restrictive enough.
A push for greater clarity and more environmental protections
The ordinance would require data centers to comply with certain regulations, including the most recent International Energy Conservation Code.
It would also limit the size and geographic location of new, large data centers; for example, to avoid or mitigate the impact on wildlife to “a sustainable level of mortality.”
But Amanda Pankau of the Prairie Rivers Network says that’s not clear enough.
“This language is pretty broad and vague, and it begs what information will be used to make this determination and what a sustainable level of mortality is,” Pankau said.
She also suggested several additions to the ordinance, like a habitat protection enhancement plan, which would require the data center applicant to detail the work they did to avoid, minimize and mitigate any negative impact to wildlife.
Fears that corporations will prioritize profit over people
Other attendees provided feedback on specific sections of the ordinance, including water use and cooling, and electricity use.
Champaign County resident George Hardebeck said that without more restrictive guidelines, data center applicants would take advantage of the area and prioritize profits.
“It’s about the game, it’s about winning,” he said. “It’s not about the cost of people’s lives and of the life of the planet and each other and the life of the region.”
Gabriella DalSanto, a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said that the ordinance should not be approved in its current state.
“There are gaping holes that corporations can and will exploit in order to make larger and larger profits,” DalSanto said.
She urged the task force to listen to community suggestions and take a harder look at the ordinance.
“I urge all of you to heed the warnings of your community well before you are placed before a jury of your peers,” DalSanto said. “I urge you to heed their warnings before you have the injury or death of your fellow man on your conscience.”
What comes next
The temporary ban on large-scale data centers currently in effect expires in mid-April 2027.
If the new ordinance is not approved before then, the county could begin to receive proposals for large data centers.
Once revised, the task force will send the ordinance to the Illinois EPA’s Environmental Land Use Control for review.
The ordinance draft also has to be approved by the Champaign Zoning Board of Appeals before the Champaign County Board can vote on it.