Lake County, Illinois, Board to Vote on Data Center Moratorium
Lake County, Illinois, is on the verge of enacting an eight-month moratorium on data center development in its unincorporated areas. The proposed measure, which received a unanimous recommendation from a County Board committee, will be voted on by the full board soon. If approved, it will allow county staff to research and develop new guidelines and regulations for data center operations and development.
The Lake County Board in Illinois is poised to vote on a proposed temporary moratorium on data center development in unincorporated areas of the county. An eight-month pause, with the potential to extend to a year, is expected to be enacted when the full board casts its votes on Tuesday.
The measure received a unanimous recommendation from the County Board's Planning, Building, Zoning and Environmental Committee. Marah Altenberg, chair of the committee, highlighted the national significance of the issue, stating it's "probably the number one issue people in America are talking about now."
If approved, the moratorium would provide county planning staff with time to research and draft comprehensive guidelines for regulating data center development and operations. This includes evaluating definitions, zoning classifications, performance standards, and review procedures. Staff will also monitor the progress of the proposed state-level POWER Act, which aims to establish environmental, water, and energy regulations for large data centers.