Bill Details

The amendment would expressly authorize counties and municipalities to establish local standards governing the construction and siting of data centers through local ordinance. The bill specifically allows counties to regulate data centers in unincorporated areas outside a municipality’s zoning jurisdiction and outside the 1.5-mile zoning boundary surrounding municipalities. Counties would be permitted to adopt standards related to the size, height and design of data center structures, as well as limits on the concentration or number of facilities within a geographic area. The proposal also includes notice and public hearing requirements before siting decisions are made.

From a county government perspective, the legislation would provide clearer statutory authority for counties to manage the rapid expansion of data center development in unincorporated areas. This could strengthen counties’ ability to address local concerns involving land use compatibility, infrastructure impacts, energy demand, water consumption, road usage, emergency services capacity and broader community planning considerations. The authority to limit the number or concentration of facilities within certain areas could be particularly important for counties experiencing clustered large-scale development proposals.

The bill may also help counties preserve local decision-making authority as data center development accelerates throughout Illinois. 

The proposal also preserves existing county zoning ordinances related to data centers that were adopted prior to the bill’s effective date. This provision could be important for counties that have already implemented local data center regulations and want to ensure those standards remain enforceable without requiring reenactment or revision.