This month’s CyrusOne zoning petition vote was not partisan, and the Democrats on the Sangamon County Board split evenly on this vote. The Board had to decide if a proposal meeting zoning standards should advance while demanding strong building-code enforcement, transparency and accountability.
Data centers are part of the infrastructure of modern life. Our phones, online banking, telemedicine, digital records, cloud storage, social media and public services all depend on secure facilities that store and process data. That reality does not mean every project is good or that every concern should be brushed aside. It does mean we should evaluate the facts, not the loudest rumors.
Opponents have tried to treat this project as if it were interchangeable with every troubling data-center story found online. It is not. CyrusOne’s proposed site in Talkington Township, about 30 miles from downtown Springfield, is in a rural area where the closest home is roughly a half mile from the property line. That is a very different setting from the densely populated locations often cited by critics.
The county also has tools to address legitimate concerns. Zoning and building codes are not the same thing. This petition was a zoning matter. CyrusOne has not yet filed for a building permit. That gives Sangamon County the opportunity to continue tightening building standards and enforcing state and local requirements before construction begins.
Some have compared this proposal to Springfield’s Pillsbury plant or to the company’s Aurora campus. Those comparisons do not hold up. Pillsbury was an economic engine for the city for decades before it was sold off for scrap and became blighted. As for the CyrusOne Aurora facility, it was acquired by CyrusOne; the company did not build it from the ground up, and it sits only 300 feet from nearby homes.
Just as important, I have also worked with county leaders and our regional planning staff to review the health and safety concerns raised by objectors and to address them through proposed changes to the zoning and building ordinances. Responsible government should not dismiss objections out of hand, but it should separate genuine issues from misconceptions and respond with rules that are clear and enforceable. State law already requires strict environmental and public safety standards for most of the concerns raised, and where county authority exists, we can still strengthen our building codes.
This project also comes with local benefits that should not be ignored. Construction is expected to support hundreds of union tradespeople over several years, and the finished facility would create more permanent jobs on site and related maintenance work afterward. I was part of conversations with the developer resulting in their significant funding commitment for STEM education, apprenticeship and workforce pipeline development, and minority recruitment and employment so local students and workers can benefit from these opportunities.
Environmental and utility questions deserve careful attention, but the facts matter here, too. The project is planned with existing electrical infrastructure from the 4,000-acre solar farm across the street. Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative and the MISO regional grid have certified ample capacity, and the Electric Cooperative commits that rates can be held steady because of this large new customer. Water is provided by another rural cooperative, and the project will use a one-time-fill closed-loop cooling design. The project will use Tier 4 diesel generators (the EPA’s strictest emissions standard) for emergency backup only, so the actual environmental impact is far more limited than critics suggest. That is not the same as the worst-case assumptions being circulated online.
Government must follow evidence and law, not fear or internet-driven misinformation. Sangamon County can welcome responsible investment with strong standards and firm enforcement — not reflexive opposition. Last year’s unanimously-passed data center ordinance set the bar after months of work and opportunity for public comment through our Zoning Committee. This project meets those requirements. That does not mean that the work ends to monitor the progression of this development and enforce the law to protect the citizens of Sangamon County. For these reasons, I supported the zoning petition.
Tony DelGiorno is an attorney in private practice who serves as the Democratic Caucus leader and a Sangamon County Board member for District 23.
This article appears in April 23-29, 2026.
