The fight over data center regulations in Morgan County is heading toward a critical deadline.
The county’s six-month moratorium on new data center applications expires at the end of October, and the Morgan County commissioners are expected to consider a regulatory ordinance next month.
That’s happening even though there is currently no formal data center proposal before the county.
Commissioner Michael Woods has pushed for a longer review and more public involvement, while Chairman Michael Wankel has stressed the need to establish regulations despite Morgan County’s lack of traditional countywide zoning.
Meanwhile, residents have gathered more than 1,100 signatures for an advisory referendum on data center restrictions for the November general election ballot for residents to weigh in.
The issue hits close to home after Sangamon County approved a roughly 500-million-dollar CyrusOne facility near Waverly, just across the Morgan County line.
And Morgan County isn’t alone.
Champaign County has imposed its own moratorium while developing regulations, while communities around Illinois are debating everything from water and electricity use to community-benefit agreements.
For Morgan County, the immediate question is whether or not the commissioners can or will establish the rules before a data center comes knocking — while voters may soon give the county board their opinion on how restrictive those rules should be.