Looking to avoid the controversy and infrastructure strain seen in neighboring Joliet, the Plainfield Village Board has officially hit the brakes on new data center developments. On Monday, officials unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on all applications and permits for the massive computing facilities. Mayor John Argoudelis and the Board cited a need to update the village’s zoning laws and ensure local power grids can handle the demand before allowing developers to break ground.
“There has been a mad rush for data centers everywhere,” said Argoudelis, citing Joliet, Yorkville and Minooka as some of the communities taking on the controversial projects. “But we are underpowered right now. Maybe we can have data centers provide their own power (electricity).
“Let’s not jump into a mad rush like other communities,” the mayor said.
This temporary measure approved Monday in Plainfield is intended to allow sufficient time for the Village to prepare and adopt a new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that addresses the unique land use, infrastructure, and regulatory considerations associated with data centers, according to Village Administrator Joshua Blackmore.
“Data centers present distinct challenges and impacts, and the current zoning and development regulations do not fully account for these factors. Proceeding with new data center proposals under the existing framework could lead to outcomes that are inconsistent with the village’s long-term planning goals, Blackmore said.”
Plainfield village trustee Richard Kiefer agreed with Blakemore’s assessment and the need for a moratorium at this time.
“We are in the path of some of these developers and on their radar,” he added. Trustee Margie Bonuchi said she prefers to see the village prepared. “Thank you so much for being proactive and getting in front of it,” Bonuchi said.
Data centers are dedicated physical facility housing computing infrastructure like servers, storage and networking. They are considered the backbone of digital economy, enabling everything from social media and online banking to advanced AI.
Critics cite environmental concerns like possible polluted water and high electricity costs as reasons for why data centers are not good for communities. Last month, the Joliet City Council approved the annexation of 795 acres of land currently outside the city’s boundaries at Schweitzer, Ridge and Millsdale roads for data center development despite the outrage of many residents.
The 180-day moratorium in Plainfield is designed to provide staff, consultants, and Village officials the necessary time to study best practices, evaluate local conditions, and develop clear, consistent standards within the UDO, Blackmore said.
“This will ensure that future data center development, if permitted, aligns with community priorities and infrastructure capacity,” Blackmore noted. If the UDO update is not completed within the initial 180-day period, the ordinance allows for the moratorium to be extended as needed by formal action of the Village Board.
“This flexibility ensures that the village is not pressured to adopt incomplete or insufficient regulations,” Blakemore said.
Travis Whitmore of Plainfield said he is glad the village is taking proactive steps to address data centers.
“I am glad the board won’t go into this blind,” he said prior to the meeting Monday. “We need to do research before these centers become part of our community and could harm people who live here.”
No one from the public commented on the moratorium at Monday’s meeting.
