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Regbase

The Data Center Divide

Logan County

Mixed Data Center Policies

Illinois offers tax breaks to data centers that meet investment, hiring, environmental, and labor conditions. Upcoming rules would tighten emissions and limit backup-generator use at certain permitted facilities; an advisory cabinet adds no requirements itself.

Rating and summary from Illinois statewide as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Logan County.

Specific to Logan County only.

failed · County measure
Rejected the proposed ordinance, which would have required data center applicants to fund county-selected studies of impacts such as noise, lighting, water use, environmental and health concerns.Illinois Logan County Data Center Ordinance (Impact Study and Siting Requirements) (2026)

What this means

The proposal would make developers pay for a county-selected study before getting a permit, covering noise, light, water, environmental, and health concerns (study requirements). It would also add setback, noise, wastewater, drainage, and decommissioning requirements, while lowering the size threshold to 10 MW; together, these create significant costs and siting uncertainty (proposed amendments).

People behind it

  • Presented and advanced the proposed data center ordinance to the Logan County Board.

  • Presented the ordinance motion and read its proposed additions to the County Board.

  • Proposed five amendments to the ordinance and formally made the amendment adding health concerns to the impact and baseline study.

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  • Proposed the amendment adding health concerns to the impact and baseline study, which was formally made by Keenan Leesman.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements10

  • A data center must obtain approval of a Conditional Use Permit before it can be developed.

  • Before a Conditional Use Permit is approved, the applicant must complete both an impact study and a baseline study.

  • The required studies must evaluate noise, lighting, water usage, environmental concerns, and health concerns associated with the project.

  • The County Board retains authority to select the vendor or vendors performing the required studies, while the developer must pay the full cost.

  • Data centers must comply with all applicable Illinois EPA noise requirements as well as Logan County noise standards.

  • A data center must be located at least 500 feet, or a greater distance determined by the County Board, from nonparticipating property.

  • The Logan County Health Department must be notified annually of wastewater-discharge test results from the data center.

  • The project must protect existing tile drainage under requirements similar to those in the county wind-farm ordinance.

  • A data-center decommissioning plan must be developed in a separate amendment and made binding on the ordinance.

  • The ordinance would apply to data centers with a minimum power demand of 10 megawatts.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions2

  • The setback from nonparticipating property would be determined for each project by the County Board rather than imposed as a fixed 500-foot minimum, subject to the final amended wording of “500 or more and to be determined by the County Board.” the distance would be determined by the County Board for each data center project

  • A data-center decommissioning plan would not be required in the ordinance immediately; instead, it would be developed later through a separate amendment. a decommissioning plan will be developed in a separate amendment

Sources

failed · County measure
Allows Logan County to resume reviewing data center applications after its 12-month moratorium was declared invalid.Illinois Logan County 12-Month Moratorium on Large-Scale Data Centers (2025)

What this means

A one-year moratorium would temporarily stop the county from processing data-center land-use applications, substantially delaying new projects. The article describes the 12-month moratorium as invalid in practice, but assessed as if properly enacted, it fits the temporary-moratorium anchor.

Timing

Ends
12 months after approval

The County Board approved a 12-month moratorium in May, but the state's attorney declared it invalid because required procedures were not followed.

People behind it

  • Approved the 12-month data-center moratorium in May.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements1

  • Moratoriums temporarily halted processing data-center applications: a 60-day moratorium was approved Feb. 24, and a 12-month moratorium was approved May 19. The state’s attorney later deemed the 12-month moratorium invalid because required procedures were not followed.

Sources

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