County Board could approve data center 15 days after tabling propsal

The Sangamon County Board is slated to vote again on a $500 million data center proposal from CyrusOne, just two weeks after it was tabled during a contentious March meeting. The project, intended for Talkington Township, has faced considerable citizen pushback and threats of board members being voted out. The initial motion to table the proposal, which succeeded 15-13, followed an emotional appeal from District 7 board member Craig Hall, who represents Talkington Township. Opponents, including the Coalition for Springfield’s Utility Future, are urging the board to delay approval, citing ongoing legislative discussions in the state about the Illinois POWER Act, which aims to regulate data centers. Residents express concerns that a quick approval would allow CyrusOne to bypass these potential regulations and secure tax breaks at the community's expense. Electricity consumption is a key point of debate. County officials and Sean Middleton, president and CEO of Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative (RECC), which would power the facility, assert the project will not raise consumer electric rates or overload the grid. Middleton emphasized that the regional grid operator, Midcontinent Independent Service Operator (MISO), and Ameren Transmission have approved the project's interconnection. However, conservative estimates suggest the proposed 636-megawatt data center's annual consumption could rival or exceed the total energy requirements of City, Water, Light and Power (CWLP) for 2025. Mark Pruitt, an energy consultant, reiterated MISO's approval as a sign of grid capacity. Land for the proposed site, owned by Dowson Farms of Divernon, is expected to be purchased by CyrusOne upon zoning approval. The article also notes CyrusOne's purchase of 230 acres in Kendall County in 2024 for a data center in Yorkville, highlighting the company's regional development activities.