Rockford City Council approves 2040 Future Land Use Map

The Rockford City Council voted to approve an update to the city's 2040 Future Land Use Map, which now includes designated zoning areas for the tech industry and data centers. This approval comes as Monarch Energy has announced its plans to develop a hyperscale data center in Rockford, with ComEd confirming its collaboration on the electric infrastructure for the project. The decision by the City Council's planning and development committee was met with strong opposition from a group called No Data Centers Northern Illinois, whose members filled the council chambers carrying signs and expressing concerns that the unanimous passage of the map update would facilitate Monarch's proposed data center.