Concerns over power and water usage dominate Lockport discussion on potential data center
Lockport residents expressed strong opposition to a potential data center in the Star Innovation District during the first of three public workshops. Concerns primarily focused on the significant power and water demands of such facilities, and the lack of broad state or federal regulations. While no specific development proposal exists, the city signed a letter of intent with VME Development to explore the property's potential for data centers.
Residents of Lockport, Illinois, and surrounding communities packed an auditorium at Lockport Township High School’s East Campus for the first of three workshops discussing the potential construction of a data center in the city’s Star Innovation District. The approximately 200 attendees were largely opposed to the idea, expressing frustration that the city had not publicly discussed the possibility sooner, despite a letter of intent with VME Development since September.
The Star Innovation District, a 165-acre former Chevron oil refinery site, currently lacks a specific data center proposal. However, the letter of intent with VME Development grants the company several months to explore options for shopping the property to data center developers. Mayor Steven Streit emphasized that the agreement is not a commitment but urged the community to engage in discussions to leverage the city's ownership of the land to make demands on the industry.
Key concerns raised by residents, and discussed by a panel of experts including Citizens Utility Board Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz and University of Illinois Chicago Freshwater Lab Director Rachel Havrelock, revolved around electricity and water usage. Moskowitz warned that data centers, even if built elsewhere on the multi-state grid, could drive up ComEd electricity prices for local residents due to massive power demands. Havrelock highlighted that a large data center could consume up to five million gallons of water daily, significantly more than Lockport’s current daily usage, raising concerns about the local aquifer. Mayor Streit suggested the city could mandate the use of treated wastewater effluent for cooling, potentially generating revenue to lower residents' water bills.
Panelists noted a lack of comprehensive state and federal regulations for data center construction and operation, leaving many decisions to local municipalities. Residents expressed valid fears about potential water pollution from closed-loop cooling systems, with chemicals like nitrates and PFAs building up. Despite discussions of potential benefits, the crowd remained largely unswayed in its opposition, with many hoping for a referendum or stronger local policies to influence the industry.