Aurora, Illinois City Council to take up proposal for data center restrictions

The Aurora, Illinois City Council is poised to vote on a proposal to enact some of the nation's strictest data center regulations. This comes as a six-month moratorium on new data center projects in the western Chicago suburb is set to expire on Tuesday. City leaders, including Aurora director of sustainability Alison Lindburg, have spent months developing these new rules, which aim to address concerns such as noise, water use, energy consumption, and vibrations. If approved, new data center developers would be required to conduct sound studies, comply with specific design standards, implement renewable energy generation, and submit ongoing reports on water use, energy, and noise to the city. These rules, however, would only apply to new projects, not the four existing data centers in Aurora. While city officials believe the proposed restrictions are comprehensive, some Aurora residents living near current data centers argue they do not go far enough, expressing ongoing frustration over issues like constant noise. In contrast, nearby Joliet recently approved the largest data center in Illinois, despite resident pushback, with officials estimating significant job creation and tax revenue.