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Ottawa extends data center moratorium through August 2027 · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Ottawa extends data center moratorium through August twenty twenty seven.
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  Speaker 1: Written by Emily Beebe, Matthias Werner, and Tom Collins. This
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  Speaker 1: article is being read by an automated voice brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by Everlett. Ottawa extended its temporary moratorium on data
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  Speaker 1: centers in all zoning districts until August twenty twenty seven,
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  Speaker 1: citing state in action on legislation that would set guidelines
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  Speaker 1: for how Illinois communities regulate the facilities. The City Council
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  Speaker 1: unanimously passed the ordnance Tuesday night, extending a moratorium that
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  Speaker 1: had been in place while state lawmakers worked on the
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  Speaker 1: Power Act, which would address data center, energy and water demands.
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  Speaker 1: The bill stalled in the spring legislative session. We have
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  Speaker 1: some questions as to what direction the State of Illinois
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  Speaker 1: is going to be going towards them. Mayor Robert Hasty said,
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  Speaker 1: we have been working on an ordinance that would put
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  Speaker 1: into place what the requirements would be should a data
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  Speaker 1: center choose to want to come here, but again, we
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  Speaker 1: don't want to forward and pass that until we know
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  Speaker 1: what the State of Illinois would be doing. Otherwise we're
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  Speaker 1: just repeating numbers here, Hasty said, the city has been
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  Speaker 1: drafting its own data center ordinance, but wants to wait
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  Speaker 1: until the state acts first so local rules align with
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  Speaker 1: whatever Illinois passes. Once we know what they've passed, then
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  Speaker 1: we can look at any kind of ordinance and make
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  Speaker 1: sure that we're protecting the citizens. Hasty said other communities' responses.
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  Speaker 1: State Representative Amy Murray Briel di Ottawa discussed the Power
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  Speaker 1: Act at a town hall earlier this month in Peru.
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  Speaker 1: The moratorium applies to all zoning districts within the city
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  Speaker 1: and remains in effect through August twenty fifth, twenty twenty seven.
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  Speaker 1: In April, the lasalas Al County Board took up the
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  Speaker 1: data center question, looking to set parameters for any incoming project.
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  Speaker 1: While some members wanted set limits and requirements, others were
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  Speaker 1: more absolute. Board member James Reid Our Sandwich said, I
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  Speaker 1: don't care how we write it. I'm going to vote
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  Speaker 1: against every data center that comes near LaSalle County. Other
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  Speaker 1: local municipalities are less stringent in their opposition to data centers.
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  Speaker 1: Mendoda Mayor Dave Belk said Monday night that Mendoda officials
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  Speaker 1: are not against inviting data centers into the city. We
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  Speaker 1: are not considering a ban. Bulk said, we've had contact
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  Speaker 1: and conversations and somebody's got to have them. We're open
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  Speaker 1: to business. Belk said that Mendota has plenty of water
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  Speaker 1: and that it would not be an issue for the city.
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  Speaker 1: Lasal Mayor Jeff Grove also said his city is open
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  Speaker 1: to data centers, particularly as the industry has addressed concerns
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  Speaker 1: about water usage. As we learned about it, a lot
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  Speaker 1: of that water gets reused, so it's not like brand
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  Speaker 1: new stuff every time. Grove said, at this point in time,
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  Speaker 1: we're very open to data centers and we would love
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  Speaker 1: to have anybody reach out to us. We're open for business.
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  Speaker 1: Peru is nowhere close to following Ottawa's lead. Mary ken
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  Speaker 1: Kolowski said the city about a year ago loosely discussed
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  Speaker 1: whether to regulate or prohibit data centers. Those conversations took
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  Speaker 1: place only in the abstract. No request were or our
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  Speaker 1: pending before the council, and the council reached no consensus.