Data centers are coming to Illinois. Northern Illinois communities like Elk Grove, Aurora and DeKalb are hot spots for some of the biggest data centers in the state. While some praise the incoming data centers, others are concerned that they’re raising energy bills and depleting natural resources.
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is hosting dozens of town hall-style meetings about data centers across the state, including one in Galena on Wednesday, July 22. The coalition said it runs these meetings because they want to know how residents are feeling about data centers, and to share some of the impacts of these developments on local communities.
Scott Allen, an energy policy specialist with the Citizens Utility Board, said hundreds of people have shown up to some of these meetings. He presented at the Galena meeting, and he said he’s never seen communities express so much interest in an energy or utility issue quite like this…