Bloomington City Council to Discuss Moratorium on Hyperscale Data Centers
Bloomington City Council will discuss a temporary moratorium on hyperscale data centers after public meetings showed resident concerns about environmental and infrastructure impacts. The proposed pause would give officials time to develop more robust zoning standards.
City council will consider temporary pause on data center applications amid resident concerns
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Bloomington City Council will discuss a temporary moratorium on hyperscale data centers at an upcoming meeting. The potential moratorium follows two public meetings held by Mayor Dan Brady on May 2 to collect resident feedback after a hyperscale data center showed interest in land adjacent to Bloomington.
City spokeswoman Katherine Murphy said the Committee of the Whole will address the issue on Monday. This discussion marks the first time the council has planned to consider policy on data centers since it hosted two public meetings earlier this month.
Residents expressed interest in more robust zoning standards related to the environmental and infrastructure impact of data centers compared to the current data center zoning standards adopted in 2025.
Officials want time to review standards and gather feedback
City Manager Jeff Jurgens said staff will propose a temporary moratorium on applications for hyperscale data centers while updated regulations are considered. The moratorium would give the city time to review more standards and to gather more feedback to protect the interests of the community.
"We have heard clearly from residents that they want Bloomington to take a thoughtful and measured approach as conversations surrounding hyperscale data centers continue," Mayor Brady said.
Any formal action related to a moratorium will require city council consideration at a future meeting.
Regional context shows growing concern across Illinois
Logan County has also approved a 90-day moratorium on large data centers amid similar resident concerns. The county Zoning Board voted to approve the moratorium after residents expressed worries that data centers could strain the power grid, water supply and farmland.
The proposed Hut 8 data center in Logan County would invest $5 billion and bring $65 million in annual tax revenue plus 200 permanent jobs. The county is currently not generating tax revenue from the deal.
Some Logan County residents called for a year-long moratorium, but Zoning and Economic Development Chairman Dale Nelson said the county will lose the deal with Hut 8 if it waits too long.
Next steps for Bloomington
The Bloomington City Council will vote on the moratorium proposal at a future meeting. Staff will continue to work on updated regulations that address environmental and infrastructure concerns raised by residents.
The decision will affect how Bloomington approaches future data center development in the region.