Normal to consider longer moratorium on new data centers, Bloomington schedules 2 public hearings
The Town of Normal, Illinois, is considering extending its moratorium on new data centers for another six months, through May 31st of next year. This extension would allow state lawmakers more time to consider new data center regulations that address energy use, water reporting, and other environmental impacts. Meanwhile, the City of Bloomington has scheduled two public hearings regarding its own data center plans.
The Town of Normal, Illinois, is poised to consider extending its moratorium on new data center development. The Normal Town Council will review a proposal on Monday to prolong the current pause on data center construction for an additional six months, pushing the expiration date to May 31, 2025.
Town staff indicate that the extension would provide Illinois state lawmakers with more time to deliberate and potentially enact new data center regulations. These proposed regulations, which were part of the Power Act, aim to address critical issues such as energy consumption, water reporting requirements, and other environmental impacts associated with data centers. However, these legislative proposals did not advance during the most recent spring legislative session.
Concurrently, the nearby City of Bloomington is moving forward with its own process for data center development. Bloomington has scheduled two public hearings to discuss its data center plans, with the first hearing set for October 16th.