Bloomington forum delves into details of data center impacts

The City of Bloomington and Town of Normal, Illinois, jointly hosted a three-hour public forum to discuss the environmental and economic impacts of data centers. Attended by several hundred residents, the event addressed concerns ranging from energy and water consumption to infrastructure costs and noise pollution, amidst ongoing six-month moratoriums on data center development in both municipalities. Panelists included Andrew Rehn from Prairie Rivers Network, Michael Brown from the Ecology Action Center, Scott Allen from the Citizens Utility Board, Matthew Rasche from Naperville Township, and Brad Tietz from the Data Center Coalition, along with energy consultant Adam Zellner.

A significant point of discussion was the substantial energy demand of data centers, with Rehn highlighting that a proposed 1,800-megawatt facility in Joliet would consume as much energy as nearly 2 million homes. Panelists also debated the complexities of water usage in cooling systems and how to allocate costs for necessary infrastructure improvements. While the Data Center Coalition's Brad Tietz suggested data centers could sometimes lower energy rates, Rehn countered that this is unlikely given current capacity constraints, a point that drew applause from the largely opposed audience.

The forum, moderated by Susan Saunders, remained tense but not contentious despite a protest by Illinois People’s Action, which criticized the lack of live public questions and distributed red cards for attendees to signal disagreement with speakers. Other issues raised included the impact of noise, non-disclosure agreements with public officials, employment, and the decommissioning of obsolete facilities. Mayors Dan Brady of Bloomington and Chris Koos of Normal acknowledged the community's questions and emphasized the importance of public hearings scheduled for October 1 and November 5, noting the cities are still exploring the issue.