Illinois bill would require public hearings, referendum path for data centers

Republican Rep. Jed Davis has introduced Illinois House Bill 5755, which seeks to significantly alter the approval process for data center developments across the state. The proposed legislation would mandate at least one public hearing before a municipality or zoning board grants siting approval for a data center. Crucially, HB 5755 also introduces a "back-door referendum" process, empowering citizens to force a public vote on a data center siting approval after local officials have made a decision. A back-door referendum would need to be held within 60 days of the municipality's notice of application, provided a sufficient number of electors file a petition. Currently, data center proposals are primarily handled through standard local government procedures. The bill aims to increase public transparency and involvement, addressing common objections to data centers, such as concerns over energy and water consumption, as well as noise disruption from cooling equipment and generators.