Alton Steel data center meeting Tuesday
Terawatt is proposing the Riverbend Technology Center data center on the former Alton Steel site in Alton, Illinois. The project has not yet submitted rezoning or permit applications, and residents have raised concerns about water use, power-grid strain, pollution and impacts on nearby bird habitat.
Terawatt is expected to present plans for a multi-million-dollar data center at the former Alton Steel site, a roughly 400-acre property in Alton. City officials said the developer has not yet applied for rezoning or permits. The proposed Riverbend Technology Center is expected to require at least $250 million in investment, provide full-time jobs and union construction work, operate carbon-neutral, and remain in Alton for at least 20 years in order to qualify for tax aid.
The developer claims the facility would use 99.8% less water, emit 81% fewer pollutants and be 48 decibels quieter than the former steel mill. Some residents oppose the proposal, citing potential effects on water quality, cooling-water consumption, electricity-grid capacity and nearby bald eagle and migratory bird habitat. Terawatt planned to explain the proposal at an open house at the Wedge Innovation Center, while city leaders cautioned that the project still faces several hurdles.