BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Belvidere has been in talks with Chicago-based Datawatt Energy to construct a hyperscale data center named Project Hawkeye. The proposed development would be located just outside city limits on Genoa Road near Interstate 90.
Discussions between Belvidere leaders and Datawatt Energy representatives have been consistent since late 2024, according to more than 200 pages of municipal communication records. A pledge and reimbursement agreement was finalized in May this year. In that agreement, it states Datawatt’s intention to start real estate development just outside of Belvidere’s commercial city limits. The energy company’s website shows plans for a three-gigawatt facility featuring a 500-megawatt fuel cell, generating enough energy to supply nearly 2.5 million homes.
In addition to its power requirements, the facility would potentially use several million gallons of water daily in a water-cooled system, according to consulting firm Manhard Consulting. There was discussion in June 2025 between the consulting firm, DataWatt, and the city on the city’s water well system and its ability to supply between 250-500 MGD (million gallons a day)…