Joliet Delays Vote on Hillwood Data Center

A marathon public hearing on a massive data center proposal in Joliet ended without a vote just after midnight Tuesday, after a quirk in Illinois law forced the city council to adjourn.

A recent change to Illinois’ Open Meetings Act bars governmental bodies from meeting on Election Day, preventing council members from continuing deliberations once the clock struck midnight. The Chicago Tribune reported that the council is now expected to reconvene Thursday evening to vote on the controversial plan.

The project at the center of the debate is a proposed 795-acre campus on Joliet’s southeast side near Ridge Road. Dallas-based Hillwood Investment Properties, alongside development partner PowerHouse Data Centers of McLean, Virginia, wants to build a $20 billion complex consisting of 24 data center buildings.

More than 200 people packed Monday’s meeting, with over 80 residents speaking during the hearing before the council closed public comment shortly before midnight, according to the outlet. As with a similar hearing before the city’s plan commission earlier this month, the majority of speakers opposed the project.

Residents repeatedly raised concerns about how the proposed Joliet Technology Center would strain the city’s water supply and affect the surrounding environment. Others focused on its electricity demands, according to the publication. The campus is projected to consume about 1.8 gigawatts of power — roughly equivalent to the energy needed to run every household in Chicago — raising fears about grid capacity and potential impacts on utility bills.

In December, the Illinois Commerce Commission, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Power Agency warned the state could face chronic electricity shortages within five years as power consumption climbs.

Supporters framed the project as a once-in-a-generation economic boost. Hillwood estimates the development would generate as many as 10,000 construction jobs and roughly 700 permanent positions once completed, while adding significant property tax revenue.

The proposal lands in a rapidly transforming stretch of Will County farmland already seeing a wave of industrial-scale projects. Kansas City-based NorthPoint Development has assembled nearby land for dozens of warehouses, while solar projects are emerging across the area, including Arlington, Virginia-based Earthrise Energy’s proposal for solar fields spanning roughly 45 square miles to the east, according to the outlet.

Across the Chicago region, similar fights are playing out as municipalities grapple with the rapid expansion of data centers. Communities including Aurora, Naperville and Yorkville in Illinois — as well as Hobart, Indiana, and Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, according to the outlet — are confronting questions about infrastructure, environmental impact and land use.

The Joliet council itself appears divided. Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra, whose district includes the proposed site, said the public opposition swayed her against the plan.

Councilman Joe Clement signaled the opposite stance, saying Hillwood had addressed issues around noise and water usage and emphasized the project’s union construction jobs.

If approved Thursday, Hillwood expects to begin construction in late 2026 or early 2027. The buildout could take up to five years, transforming nearly 800 acres into one of the largest data center campuses proposed in the Midwest.— Eric Weilbacher