Sangamon County
Community FAQ
We're excited to be part of Sangamon County
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What is a data center and who is CyrusOne?
A data center is a physical facility that stores and processes the data behind everything digital. Every time you use your smartphone, stream a movie, connect with a doctor via telehealth, or rely on emergency services, that information travels through a data center.
CyrusOne is a leading global data center owner, developer and operator with over 55 data centers across the United States, Europe, and Japan. We have multiple facilities operating and under development in Illinois, representing over $1.2 billion in infrastructure investment.
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What benefits will the community see? Will this facility generate new jobs and local tax revenue?
This project will bring significant benefits to the community - a capital investment exceeding $500 million, hundreds of construction jobs, permanent full-time employment opportunities, and ongoing property tax revenue for schools, fire departments, and emergency services. We're committed to prioritizing local workers and contractors through Sangamon County's workforce.
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Will the facility use large amounts of water and strain local water supply?
No. Our facilities use closed-loop cooling technology that minimizes water consumption. Our water usage will be comparable to a standard office building - primarily for restrooms and basic facility operations, not for cooling equipment. This air-cooling approach is standard across all CyrusOne facilities, which means we won't be drawing significant amounts of water from local supplies.
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Will light pollution impact our community?
No. We use no uplighting - all lighting is directed downward toward the ground. Our design minimizes light pollution to preserve dark skies.
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Will the data center strain the local power grid or cause my electric bill to increase?
No, residential and commercial customers will not see their electric bills increase because of this data center. We selected this site specifically because the grid already has available transmission capacity to serve the data center. CyrusOne will pay for all transmission line upgrades and infrastructure improvements required to power this facility - residents will not pay for these upgrades. We will enter into agreements with Ameren Illinois and the Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative that ensure we pay for the electricity we use and our fair share of grid costs.
Recent research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that increased electricity demand from large users like data centers actually tends to lower rates for other customers, as fixed infrastructure costs are spread across more users.
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Can we expect there to be noise from your data center?
Our cooling systems and emergency generators are designed to meet and exceed noise regulations. We use low-noise fans, sound-attenuated compressor enclosures, sound-attenuated generator enclosures, and critical grade exhaust silencers on our generators. Backup generators run only 10-15 hours PER YEAR for maintenance and testing purposes, and in rare cases of utility outages.
If you have concerns once we're operational, contact us directly at communities@cyrusone.com.
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Will this facility disrupt farmland or impact the environment? How do you acquire land?
No. We selected this site to avoid disrupting agricultural operations. The facility is designed to be a good neighbor with minimal environmental impact. Traffic will be minimal once operational.
Our site's proximity to the Double Black Diamond Solar Farm represents the kind of strategic energy infrastructure development that benefits Sangamon County. This project, combined with renewable energy resources in the region, demonstrates how modern infrastructure and agriculture can coexist while bringing significant economic value to the community through job creation, tax revenue for schools and services, and long-term investment in the area.
We're entering into an Agricultural Impact Mitigation Agreement with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to ensure surrounding farmland isn't disturbed. We're working directly with Sangamon County to confirm drainage from our campus doesn't affect neighboring properties.
We work with landowners who choose to sell their properties. All land acquisitions are voluntary transactions with willing sellers.
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We want to be partners in the community and a good neighbor. We have a dedicated email address where you can email us directly if you have questions or concerns - communities@cyrusone.com
We would be honored to support any local charities and assist in any programs that help our fellow neighbors.
Questions? Contact Us Anytime at
