Aurora City Council approves proposed restrictions for new data centers
The Aurora City Council approved a first-of-its-kind ordinance during Tuesday night's meeting, putting the strictest regulations on new data centers in the state and possibly the whole country.
For almost six months, the city put a pause on any new data centers. They said they took that time to research and put a plan in place so data centers are not too loud, too close to homes, or use too much energy.
However, this is only for new data centers, and those who live near existing ones expressed during the meeting that they are not fans.
It's a never-ending hum of generators that people who live in a neighborhood behind this CyrusOne data center hear day and night. It's near Interstate 88, and those neighbors have been coming to city council meetings for months to get their point across.
"We hear the sound constantly. I can hear the chiller fans in my yard, I hear it in the shower, I hear it all the time, it never goes away," said Laura Evans.
At Tuesday night's meeting, the city council voted to pass the restrictions for new data centers. Those include making those companies do certain studies on sound, noise, and water before development, meeting standards for noise, vibrations, and energy, and getting city council approval.
"These innovative ordinances will help establish significant safeguards for our residents and the environment moving forward," Mayor John Laesch said. "With these local regulations now in place, it's time for the State of Illinois to follow suit and pass the Illinois POWER Act. This piece of common-sense legislation will assist Illinoisians who are suffering from high electricity bills, while helping to enhance quality of life for communities across the state."
City officials said in the last week that they brought down the noise level requirements and required generators and chillers to be 1,500 feet from homes. The new requirements are not for the four existing centers and the five in the works. However, the city said the centers must be transparent about their energy, water, and noise usage.
Some say these strict limits would deter new businesses.
"We are going to do the strictest regulations on data centers. What message does that send to anybody else in the area about developing anything in Aurora?" one resident said.
Those with the CyrusOne data center said they are already doing a decent job and are willing to work with others.
"We pride ourselves on being good corporate citizens and good neighbors," said Kevin Lennon with CME Group.
The approval of the new ordinances came as the city's 180-day temporary moratorium on new data center facilities was set to expire on March 23. A one-time, 30-day extension was also planned in case deliberations needed more time.
The city didn't give an official date on when the regulation will go into effect, but it's possible it could start as soon as April 1.