The surge in data center development in Illinois has led to a wave of public hearings across several counties and municipalities, particularly in the Chicago metropolitan area and central Illinois. These hearings typically focus on zoning amendments, noise ordinances, and environmental impact assessments.
This resource includes information about local governments that have held or are currently planning public hearings related to data centers. The list will be updated as necessary.
Counties
Will County
Status: Active/Recent.
Details: The Joliet City Council (within Will County) held a marathon 6-hour public hearing on March 16, 2026, regarding the $20 billion "Joliet Technology Center." The hearing was so extensive it had to be recessed and reconvened on March 19, 2026, where the project was ultimately approved.
Logan County
Status: February 4 Public Forum
Details: Company officials plan to host a Feb. 4 public forum on its plans. No votes will be taken, and there will be time for questions and answers at the meeting
Sangamon County
Status: February 19 Public Hearing.
Details: A final vote and public meeting for a 280-acre hyperscale data center by CyrusOne is scheduled for March 23, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting was moved to the BOS Center to accommodate the expected large public turnout.
DeKalb County
Status: Ongoing/Scheduled.
Details: The DeKalb County Community Development department has a public hearing (DC-26-04) scheduled for April 2, 2026. This follows significant previous hearings regarding the Endeavour Energy/Edged data center project in late 2025.
Municipalities
Aurora
Status: Active.
Details: Following a 180-day moratorium, Aurora has held multiple public hearings through its Planning and Zoning Commission (February 18 and March 4, 2026) to establish new "Responsible Data Center" and "Data Center Privacy Protection" ordinances. A final City Council vote is slated for March 24, 2026.
Lisle
Status: Active/Postponed.
Details: A public hearing regarding a 256,000-square-foot data center by Cloud Centers LLC was scheduled for January 20, 2026, but was postponed due to an over-capacity crowd of concerned residents. It is being rescheduled for a larger venue.
Naperville
Status: Recently Completed (Rejected).
Details: After months of intense public hearings and community pushback (the "Protect Naperville" movement), the City Council voted 6-1 in January 2026 to reject a data center proposal near the I-88 corridor.
Pekin
Status: Recently Completed (Withdrawn).
Details: On March 9, 2026, the Pekin Mayor announced the city would not move forward with a proposed data center following significant community opposition during previous council discussions.
Elgin
Status: Active.
Details: Public hearing notices were issued for March 2, 2026, regarding data center applications, though some sessions have faced requests for delays by developers.