Students, community members rally at anti-data center protest

Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS), joined by groups like Students for Socialism and Resist AI Data Centers Champaign County, organized a rally and march in Champaign County, Illinois, to protest the potential development of hyperscale data centers. The protest aimed to raise community awareness and pressure the Champaign County Board and Illinois legislators for stricter regulations, citing concerns over increased energy costs, high water usage, and light and sound pollution associated with these facilities.

The rally follows the Champaign County Data Center Activities Task Force's decision in April to enact a one-year moratorium on large data center development. The task force is currently drafting an ordinance that would establish regulations on data centers, including minimum distances from properties, water and energy use limits, and noise levels. Critics from SECS, including Vice President Grayson Hodson and Policy Coordinator Lincoln Dean, argue that the draft ordinance is insufficient, particularly regarding facility size limits, energy consumption caps, and renewable energy requirements.

In parallel, the Prairie Rivers Network supported the POWER Act, state legislation designed to mandate public disclosure of data center water and energy use and expand renewable energy programs. Although the act failed to pass the Illinois General Assembly in the spring session, activists are urging community members to pressure legislators, including state Sen. Paul Faraci, to support its reintroduction. The Champaign County Data Center Activities Task Force is scheduled to hold another meeting on October 7 to review the revised draft ordinance.