Lawsuit challenges data center as Morgan groups push voter referendum
A lawsuit has been filed by Waverly residents against Sangamon County and an affiliate of CyrusOne, challenging the approval of a $500 million data center project in Talkington Township, Sangamon County, citing concerns over agricultural land use, environmental impacts, noise, and utility strain. Concurrently, groups in Morgan County are campaigning for a voter referendum to establish restrictions on data center construction, following the county's enactment of a six-month moratorium.
Residents of Waverly have initiated a lawsuit in Sangamon Circuit Court against Sangamon County, the Sangamon County Board, and C1 Sangamon, an entity affiliated with Dallas-based data company CyrusOne. The legal action challenges the Sangamon County Board's April approval of a conditional-use permit for a proposed $500 million data center on 280 acres of farmland in Talkington Township, near the Morgan County line. Plaintiffs, including Herschel Caruthers II and others, contend that the industrial facility, featuring six 250,000-square-foot buildings, a 634-megawatt electrical load, and 420 diesel backup generators, is incompatible with the agriculturally zoned area and will negatively impact their nearby farms and businesses. They argue that a map amendment/rezoning should have been required instead of a conditional-use permit, which would have offered stronger procedural protections, and are seeking to invalidate the approval and secure an injunction.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Morgan County, two groups
—Accountability for Data Center Development and Indivisible Jacksonville—are actively gathering signatures to place a referendum on the November ballot. This initiative aims to allow voters to decide on imposing restrictions on data center construction within Morgan County, addressing concerns about tax breaks, utility costs, noise pollution, water supply strain, economic returns, and potential abandonment of facilities. Morgan County Commission Chairman Michael Wankel confirmed that the county has not been approached for a data storage project, and the commission previously approved a six-month moratorium on data center applications in April, a shorter duration than the 12-month freeze requested by concerned groups.