Champaign County Board establishes Data Center Task Force on Feb 19

Champaign County Board members voted unanimously Thursday night to create a data center task force. The group will develop zoning and permitting standards for unincorporated land in the county. Protecting local water resources will be a key focus of the task force, said Michelle Jett, the county's director of administration. She said the goal is to protect Champaign County and its resources through thoughtful planning that addresses all concerns. In parallel, the county is working to implement a 12-month moratorium on the construction of new large-scale data centers of at least 10,000 square feet. Emily Rodriguez, vice chair of the board and incoming chair of the task force, said central Illinois is an attractive area for data centers because of stable energy consumption and available capacity on paper. Rodriguez said the task force aims to create regulations around data center use of the Mahomet Aquifer, the primary source of water for roughly 800,000 people. She said she hopes to sharpen policy in a way that works for neighbors and the aquifer. Jett said the discussion process gives residents an opportunity to shape how the county looks going forward. Once permitting parameters are in place, changes will be much more difficult, she said. Alice Smith, a first-generation farmer at Sola Gratia Farm in Urbana, came to the meeting to support the task force and warn against data center construction. She cited water depletion, energy use and what she described as a questionable investment that would bring construction jobs and a tiny number of maintenance jobs.