Elk Grove Village To Host Town Hall On Data Centers

Elk Grove Village, Illinois, is preparing to host a community town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 20, to address the growing presence and impact of data centers within the community. The village currently houses 20 operational data centers, with another 19 in development, making it the second-largest data center hub outside of suburban Washington, D.C. Data centers have emerged as a "hot-button issue" locally, primarily due to their substantial electricity and water consumption. Mayor Craig Johnson highlighted that newer cooling technologies utilize glycol and closed-loop systems, similar to a car's radiator, to reduce water usage. The village has benefited from significant tax revenues generated by these facilities through electricity, telephone, sales, and property taxes. However, concerns persist regarding the broader impact. State legislation concerning data center operations is currently pending in Springfield. Furthermore, residents anticipate a rise in electricity rates starting in June, following a recent auction where power producers sold electricity to utilities like ComEd based on future expected use, a demand partly attributed to the proliferation of data centers. The town hall meeting is a follow-up to a special newsletter released in late March, aiming to foster community discussion on the topic.