Logan County to consider data center regulations

Logan County officials in Illinois are preparing to modify local zoning requirements for large-scale data centers, aiming to both accommodate developers and safeguard public interests. The Logan County Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to convene on May 8th to deliberate on nonbinding recommendations for new data center regulations. These discussions are prompted by Miami-based Hut 8 Corp.'s proposal for a $5 billion, 500-megawatt data center on 200 acres of farmland in Laenna Township near Latham. The upcoming meeting could pave the way for a final vote by the Logan County Board on these new zoning rules later in May. This development coincides with the expiration of a 60-day moratorium, previously approved by the County Board, on accepting zoning applications for data centers. Michael DeRoss, a Lincoln resident and member of the County Board, indicated that the moratorium was intended to allow board members to become better informed and thoroughly review future proposals, acknowledging public division on the issue. The moratorium, passed by a 9-2 vote in February, was a direct response to public concerns and opposition surrounding the Hut 8 proposal. While Hut 8 maintains its commitment to collaborate with local stakeholders, pledging 200 permanent jobs and over 1,500 temporary construction jobs, residents like Ronda Shelton, chairperson of the county’s Democratic Party, express opposition. Critics, who significantly outnumbered supporters at an April 20th rally outside the Logan County Courthouse, cite various concerns, including the loss of prime agricultural land, potential increases in electricity rates, strain on local water supplies, and disruption to rural life. The article also briefly notes a separate data center project by Dallas-based CyrusOne that received approval from the Sangamon County Board in a rural area southwest of Springfield.