University of Illinois Students to hold rally opposing data centers
University of Illinois students, through their organization Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS), are organizing a protest against hyperscale data centers due to concerns about noise, pollution, power grid strain, and water contamination. The Champaign County Board has enacted a 12-month moratorium on such developments and formed a task force to develop new zoning and permitting rules. SECS is calling for a comprehensive ordinance to address community concerns.
Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) at the University of Illinois is organizing a protest on September 25 against hyperscale data centers. The group plans to gather at the Main Quad and rally at the Alma Mater statue, inviting experts, professors, and community organizers to speak.
SECS cites multiple environmental and community impacts of hyperscale data centers, including 24-hour noise, air pollution, wildlife disruption, power grid strain, and water and soil contamination. The protest aims to draw attention to these issues.
The organization highlighted that data center developers, specifically ABEI Energy and Clean Cloud Energy, had approached members of the Champaign County Board in spring 2026. Although no formal proposal was made, the County Board responded by forming a Data Center Activities Task Force to develop new zoning and permitting rules.
Furthermore, the Champaign County Board has enacted a 12-month moratorium on hyperscale data center developments. SECS is urging both the Champaign County Board and the Illinois General Assembly to pass an ordinance that effectively addresses the concerns raised by experts and the community regarding these facilities.