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Kane County officials are considering a temporary freeze on new data center construction in unincorporated parts of the county.
The idea was discussed at the July 24 Energy and Environmental Committee meeting, prompted in part by other counties and cities around the country getting ahead of the issue before projects materialize.
Nothing's been decided yet; the committee agreed to send the idea to the Development Committee for more work.
Here's what to know:
It only applies to unincorporated areas: The cities of Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and other municipalities set their own zoning rules and wouldn't be affected by anything the county decides in this case.
The need for new rules: Kane County's zoning code doesn't currently provide specific regulations for data centers. County documents show that at least six Illinois counties and nine cities have passed data center moratoriums or regulations since 2025.
Activity in South Elgin: A data center has been proposed on unincorporated land near South Elgin, but the developer is asking South Elgin to annex the property rather than go through the county. The proposal has drawn thousands of signatures in opposition.
A nine-month pause is on the table: Staff suggested nine months to study the issue and draft new rules before any data centers could move forward in unincorporated areas. County board approval would still be required.
Aurora already went through a similar process. After a roughly six-month pause on data center construction, the city adopted strict new data center rules this spring covering noise limits, water and energy efficiency standards, and annual reporting requirements.
Watch the full committee meeting recording.
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