URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) — Champaign County residents and officials are set to weigh in on a proposed 12-month moratorium on large data center construction in the county. The hearing, hosted by the Champaign County Zoning Board of Appeals, will take place Thursday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Shields-Carter Meeting Room at the Bennett Administrative Center in downtown Urbana. Climate Policy Director Andrew Rehn of Prairie Rivers Network will attend in support of the moratorium and is available for interviews at 6:15 p.m.
If approved by the ZBA and the full county board, the moratorium would temporarily halt new data centers with at least 10,000 square feet of processing area. The pause is intended to give officials time to develop comprehensive regulations for large-scale data center projects.
Large data centers are rapidly expanding in Illinois, including a 600-megawatt facility in Sangamon County and an 1,800-megawatt project near Joliet. Speculation has also arisen about a potential facility in Champaign County. Local leaders say developers have often moved quickly, negotiating agreements with municipalities and county boards before fully engaging community input.
Champaign County follows other Illinois communities considering temporary moratoriums. Last fall, Aurora enacted a 180-day pause while finalizing rules for large-scale data center development.