Data centers in Illinois: City council considers plans for Joliet data center near Bernhard and Rowell, east of Speedway

The Joliet City Council is considering plans for a new data center development on about 800 acres of mostly farmland near the Joliet Speedway. Developers are proposing what they call the "Joliet Technology Center", which they say would be the largest data center in the state of Illinois. The city's plan commission has already approved the project, but many residents spoke out against it at a packed city council meeting on Monday night. Opponents cited concerns over the data center's environmental impacts, including water and electricity consumption, as well as noise. Several other Chicago-area communities have rejected data centers due to similar issues. One resident presented nearly 5,000 petition signatures against the center. However, supporters argue the project will create thousands of construction jobs and 700 full-time positions once completed, and will generate around $2 billion in annual tax revenue for the city. Union leaders and the Joliet Chamber of Commerce have urged the city council to approve the data center. The council committed to allowing all who wanted to speak at the marathon four-hour meeting to have their say, with no decision made as of 10pm on Monday.