Sangamon County Weighs Vote on CyrusOne Data Center Amid Concerns

CyrusOne speaks out on power grid impact, water usage, and economic benefits ahead of county board decision.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 3:06pm

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A photorealistic studio still life of a sleek, modern data server tower made of polished aluminum and tempered glass, floating on a clean, monochromatic background and dramatically lit to convey the abstract corporate strategy and technological innovation behind data centers.A high-tech data server tower stands alone, symbolizing the growing influence of data centers in the modern economy.Springfield Today

The Sangamon County board is set to vote on a proposed large-scale data center by CyrusOne, a decision that has faced resistance from the community. CyrusOne has addressed concerns over the data center's strain on the power grid, water usage, and potential environmental impacts, while opponents argue there are still outstanding questions about the long-term effects.

Why it matters

The vote on the CyrusOne data center is a high-stakes decision for Sangamon County, as it could bring significant economic benefits but also raises concerns about sustainability and the long-term impacts on the local environment and infrastructure. The outcome will set an important precedent for how the county approaches future data center proposals.

The details

CyrusOne, the company behind the proposed data center, has stated that the facility would use around 600 megawatts of power, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. While the company says the grid can handle this load, opponents argue that a growing number of data centers in the region could strain the power supply. CyrusOne also plans to bus in water from the Apple Creek Water Cooperative to cool the facility, though it claims the water usage would be comparable to an office building. The data center is also expected to generate significant heat, which CyrusOne says it will work to mitigate, but opponents warn could negatively impact nearby farmland.

  • The Sangamon County board is anticipated to vote on the data center proposal on Tuesday.
  • The vote was previously tabled in late March.

The players

CyrusOne

A data center company that would build and lease out the proposed facility in Sangamon County.

Sangamon County Board

The local governing body that will decide whether to approve the CyrusOne data center proposal.

Coalition for Springfield's Utility Future

A group of opponents that has raised concerns about the data center's potential impacts on the local environment, infrastructure, and utility rates.

Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative (RECC)

The cooperative responsible for connecting the CyrusOne data center to the existing power grid.

Apple Creek Water Cooperative

The cooperative that would provide water to the CyrusOne data center.

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What they’re saying

“We do know being in Illinois, there's a large amount of renewables feeding the grid locally, obviously renewables, solar wind projects, nuclear. But there's also other generation sources that are feeding into the grid. We do it at a portfolio level. So yes, we have investments in multiple renewable projects across the country.”

— Bradd Hout, Director, CyrusOne

“On the power side, it's investing in renewables to offset the power we're taking from the grid. On the water side, it's investing in water restoration projects, which we have an opportunity to do here at Waverly Lake. And then ensuring that our businesses are sustainable, that we're achieving lead certification on the facilities.”

— Bradd Hout, Director, CyrusOne

“So we don't want the servers to overload and create a lot of heat, so the chiller and cooling mechanisms of the data center keep things at a constant temperature so we're battling heat as well in maintaining temperature, so.”

— Bradd Hout, Director, CyrusOne

What’s next

The Sangamon County board is anticipated to vote on the CyrusOne data center proposal on Tuesday, April 11, 2026.

The takeaway

The vote on the CyrusOne data center in Sangamon County highlights the growing tension between the economic benefits of data centers and their potential environmental and infrastructure impacts. As more data centers seek to locate in the Midwest, local governments will need to carefully weigh these tradeoffs and ensure that any new facilities meet rigorous sustainability standards.