Developer pledges $65 million annually to Logan County

Hut 8 Corp. has proposed a 500-megawatt, $5 billion Logan Prairie Data Center on 250 acres of farmland near Latham, Illinois. During a contentious Logan County Board meeting, Gregory Irwin, Senior Vice President of Energy Origination and Asset Management for Hut 8, pledged a guaranteed $65 million annually to Logan County schools and local governments, irrespective of property tax estimates, through a community benefit agreement if the project proceeds. This offer aims to address financial concerns and provide certainty to the county. The proposal faces significant opposition from approximately 100 residents and groups like Logan County Indivisible and Sustain Logan County Communities, who raised concerns about potential health hazards, disturbance of the rural landscape, loss of farmland, noise, minimal job creation for local residents, and increased electricity rates. Opponents also expressed distrust in county officials, citing a perceived lack of transparency and high-pressure tactics from Hut 8, as evidenced by emails obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. The Logan County Board is currently navigating several related issues. It voted to postpone considering an extension of a 60-day moratorium on data center applications, which expired in late April, deferring the discussion to its Zoning and Economic Development Committee. Simultaneously, the Logan County Regional Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals are set to discuss a proposed data center ordinance, modeled after Sangamon County's, which would enable Hut 8 to seek a conditional use permit. This regulatory path is an alternative to a zoning reclassification from agricultural to industrial. The approval process has also been complicated by the recent resignation of County Board member Michael DeRoss, who cited stress from accusations and a death threat related to his role in evaluating Hut 8's initial, since-withdrawn, application.