The discourse around data centers is becoming ubiquitous around the nation, but is particularly pressing in Elk Grove Village, where more than 500 people packed a banquet hall in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, for a town hall on a fast-growing local issue. As the Journal & Topics reported, the suburb has 20 active data centers and 19 additional projects underway, making the topic impossible to ignore.
What happened?
Mayor Craig Johnson held the meeting to give residents what village officials described as “facts regarding data centers in Elk Grove Village,” per the Journal & Topics.
His presentation lasted about an hour and was followed by nearly two hours of public questions. Residents raised concerns about water use, electricity demand, artificial intelligence, fire safety, noise, jobs, and the proposed redevelopment of the 100-acre WGN antenna site on Rohlwing Road.
Johnson said Elk Grove Village ranks second nationally in data-center concentration, trailing the Virginia area outside Washington, D.C…