Rockford advances proposed regulations for potential future data centers
Rockford officials advanced proposed permanent regulations for data centers to the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals for a public hearing. The draft rules would limit eligible sites, require infrastructure and environmental reviews, regulate water and electricity use, and mandate performance-based approval, following a temporary moratorium on new data center applications.
Rockford officials voted to advance proposed data center regulations to the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, which will hold a public hearing before the rules proceed through the city’s approval process. The action does not constitute final adoption of the regulations and follows a City Council-approved temporary moratorium on processing and approving new data center applications.
The proposed framework would establish data centers as a distinct land-use category and restrict new facilities and major expansions to suitable industrial areas with adequate infrastructure. Developers would need to address electricity, water supply, wastewater, transportation, stormwater, emergency response, noise, air permits, setbacks and decommissioning, while paying for required public infrastructure improvements. The draft also emphasizes closed-loop cooling systems and detailed analysis of potential impacts on Rockford’s water system and utility capacity.