While officials debate data center regulations, residents want to know where they’ll be built
Champaign County, Illinois, is under a 12-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers, but residents are concerned about the undisclosed location of a potential facility. The County Data Center Activities Task Force is discussing proposed regulations for data centers, including separation distances, noise, and environmental impacts. County officials confirm a company previously explored a 300-acre site near Champaign but no formal proposal has been submitted.
Champaign County, Illinois, is currently under a 12-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers, a measure enacted after "serious" inquiries into potential developments. Despite the pause, residents expressed growing concerns about the undisclosed location of a proposed facility during the sixth meeting of the Champaign County Data Center Activities Task Force on July 13, 2026.
Barney Bryson, a resident living near Urbana, urged the task force to consider environmental impacts, citing examples of gas turbine reliance and high water consumption in other states. He voiced worries about noise, power infrastructure on farmland, water availability, contamination, and algae. Aaron Esry, vice chair of the task force, acknowledged that one company previously explored a 300-acre site near Rising Road in southwestern Champaign, approximately two miles south of an electrical substation, but emphasized that no formal proposal or application is currently pending before Planning and Zoning.
Bryson speculated that Meta might be the company involved, referencing a 2025 power purchase agreement between Meta and Constellation Energy for the Clinton Clean Energy Center, which takes effect in 2027. Champaign County Planning and Zoning Director John Hall stated that the draft regulations under discussion were adapted from Aurora's ordinance, proposing a minimum 1,000-foot separation from residences for large data centers to mitigate noise. However, task force members Kevin Sage and Amy Young debated whether this distance was sufficient, given that low-frequency data center noises can travel several miles. Andrew Rehn of Prairie Rivers Network suggested requiring independent noise and vibration testing after each construction phase for incremental projects.