CEO defends controversial proposed Grayslake data center
T5's proposed data center in Grayslake, Illinois, is facing strong local opposition and a lawsuit from residents concerned about transparency, power consumption, and environmental impact. The company and village officials are defending the project, which is set to go to court in November. Meanwhile, Illinois lawmakers are considering new legislation to regulate data center water and power usage.
The CEO of T5, Peter Marin, defended a controversial proposed data center in Grayslake, Illinois, during an exclusive interview with NBC 5. The project, which could become the state's second-largest data center by square footage, faces a lawsuit and significant opposition from local residents organized under the Lake County Data Center Opposition Coalition. The coalition claims the Village of Grayslake was not transparent about the project during public meetings, a charge Mayor Elizabeth Davies refutes, stating all 18 meetings were publicly noticed and on record.
Opponents, like coalition leader Morgan Coghill, also express concerns about potential power grid strain, questioning the data center's energy consumption, which is projected to reach 1.2 gigawatts. They dispute T5's claim of a separate rate agreement with ComEd, fearing increased power bills for residents. Marin countered that the facility will use a closed-loop cooling system, making it more power-dependent than water-dependent, and that the Illinois grid can handle the demand.
Despite T5's efforts to communicate with residents, including through pamphlets and billboards, the opposition remains unconvinced, particularly regarding the identity of potential tenants for the generative AI-capable facility. The legal dispute is set for court in November, coinciding with a push from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for lawmakers to pass the "POWER Act," which would impose strict limits on data center water and power usage. Marin emphasized the economic benefits and necessity of data centers, suggesting they would simply relocate if met with local rejection.