Rochelle city leaders reject proposed data center over resource concerns

Rochelle, Illinois city leaders recently voted unanimously to reject a proposed data center project, following significant community concerns regarding its resource demands. The decision came after Mayor John Bearrows publicly expressed his worries about the facility's projected power consumption. The proposed data center was slated for a 75-acre site along Steward Drive and was expected to create 500 construction jobs and 35 permanent positions. However, residents voiced apprehensions about the substantial power and water the center would require. Mayor Bearrows emphasized the importance of preserving power for essential services, stating, "I got a hospital we need to be thinking about. I got nursing homes we need to be thinking about and all these other things, they cannot be without power, so somebody can look up Facebook to tell you what they had for dinner." The city currently hosts three smaller data centers, but the new proposal faced strong opposition due to its larger scale and potential impact on local utilities.