Joliet Panel Advances Massive Data Center

Joliet is one step closer to hosting what could become Illinois’ largest data center campus — even as residents packed a public hearing to oppose it.

The city’s plan commission voted 7-1 on March 5 to recommend approval of the Joliet Technology Center, a 795-acre development proposed by Dallas-based Hillwood Investment Properties and McLean, Virginia-based PowerHouse Data Centers. The decision came after hours of testimony from hundreds of residents, most of whom urged officials to slow down or reject the proposal outright, the Chicago Tribune reported. The project now heads to the Joliet City Council, which is expected to take up the proposal at its Monday meeting. On Thursday, city officials announced the developers pledged $100 million to city coffers if the development is improved, according to the Shaw Local News Network.

The project would span 24 buildings built across four phases, each anchored by a power substation and supported by a large switching yard tied to nearby transmission lines. At full buildout, the campus would draw about 1.8 gigawatts of electricity — roughly equivalent to the amount needed to power every household in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Developers pitched the complex as a major economic engine in the city that sits roughly 40 miles southeast of Chicago, promising construction jobs and a long-term boost to property tax revenue. Union leaders at the hearing backed the project, arguing that it would create much-needed work for skilled trades. Tom White, executive director of the Three Rivers Construction Alliance, said the development could “put a lot of people to work,” while Pipefitters Local 597 President Doc Gregory noted many members are currently traveling out of state for similar data center construction jobs.

But residents framed the project as an outsized strain on local infrastructure and natural resources. The proposed campus would sit above an underground aquifer that has been steadily depleted after more than a century of pumping, raising concerns about water supply as Joliet prepares to transition to Lake Michigan water through a new pipeline, according to the outlet.

Critics also warned about noise from cooling equipment, increased traffic and potential impacts on electricity prices. Felix Ortiz, a longtime Joliet resident, told commissioners the city would effectively be “handing a giant straw to a private entity during a regional water crisis.”

Project representatives pushed back, saying the complex would use a closed-loop cooling system that minimizes water consumption, according to the publication. Each building would require an initial fill of roughly 100,000 gallons, with daily water use across the entire campus expected to stay below 150,000 gallons once complete. Consultants for the developers said both ComEd and regional grid operator PJM have reviewed the proposal and determined the grid can support the added demand.

The lone dissenting vote came from plan commission chair John Kella, who echoed residents’ concerns and suggested Joliet consider a pause similar to Aurora’s recent moratorium on new data centers while it drafts regulations.— Eric Weilbacher