Communities and Legislators Clash Over Massive AI Data Center Projects

A wave of opposition has emerged across several U.S. states as communities and lawmakers challenge the rapid expansion of AI data centers. In Illinois, the Sangamon County Board voted 15-13 to table a decision on a $500 million CyrusOne project in Talkington Township. While proponents cited $6.5 million in annual property taxes, opponents raised alarms regarding noise and a 600-megawatt strain on the power grid. CyrusOne offered $7-9 million to the Apple Creek Water Cooperative and pledged to fund the dredging of Waverly Lake to mitigate impacts.

Similar tensions are rising in Wisconsin and Ohio. In Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, residents and comedian Charlie Berens are protesting a proposed $1 billion Meta Platforms Inc. facility, demanding more transparency and citing risks of water contamination. In Trenton, Ohio, the Planning Commission is scheduled to review 'Project Mila,' an 880,000-square-foot development by Prologis Inc. Local residents have responded by requesting a moratorium, while some rural Ohioans are proposing a state constitutional amendment to ban large AI data centers entirely.

Legislative action is also underway in Maine, where Representative Melanie Sachs sponsored bill LD 307 to create a temporary moratorium on data centers with electricity loads of at least 20 megawatts. Tony McDonald, a partner in JGT2 Redevelopment, is fighting for an exemption for a $550 million project at the former Androscoggin Mill site in Jay. McDonald argues the moratorium would kill the project, which is scheduled to begin construction in July and cannot wait for the proposed pause to lift in October 2027.