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As massive data centers pop up across the country to power AI and cloud computing, a coalition of local environmental and civic groups has organized a public forum this month to engage Fox Valley residents in a discussion about what that actually means for their electric bills, water use, and neighborhoods.
It's organized by We Can Lead Change – Fox Valley, Fox Valley Rising Indivisible, and the Sierra Club. The event comes as Illinois communities increasingly debate how to regulate these facilities.
Here's what to know:
The event: "Data Centers: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" will take place Monday, August 31, 7PM at Elgin Community College's Seigle Auditorium (1700 Spartan Dr., Building E, Elgin). It's free, open to the public, and also streaming on Zoom. The college is not affiliated with the event.
The data center issue: These large industrial buildings are packed with computer servers that store and process data for things like AI tools, streaming, and cloud storage. Organizers say they draw enormous amounts of electricity to run and often need significant water for cooling, which is why they're becoming a bigger factor in local planning decisions.
The view from the state level: According to the organizers, a bill in Springfield called the POWER Act would set new rules aimed at stopping the cost of serving big data centers from getting passed on to everyone else's electric bills. It also touches on renewable energy requirements and water-use reporting.
Aurora's sustainability director Alison Lindburg will speak on the panel, covering what that city learned after temporarily pausing new data center approvals for six months to write stricter rules. Also included will be Matt Harvey, a Citizens Utility Board rep; Don Johnson, a cooling systems expert; and Steve Andersson, an attorney and former state representative.
“Data centers are arriving in our communities at a remarkable pace, and residents deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that could affect their neighborhoods, utility bills and the environment for decades,” said Linda Robertson, WCLC event spokesperson, in a news release. “This isn’t a conversation about whether technology is good or bad. It’s about asking the practical questions now before communities make decisions they can’t easily undo.”
Learn more about the forum.
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