Sangamon County
Community FAQ

Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative (RECC), who will be delivering electric service to this project, has published their own FAQ addressing community questions:

https://www.recc.coop/news-info/sangamon-county-data-center-your-questions-answered/

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.

This project represents a capital investment exceeding $500 million across multiple phases. The facility will generate ongoing property tax revenue that directly funds schools, fire departments, emergency services, and essential local services.

CyrusOne is not requesting any property tax abatement for this project. Property tax assessments and payments are administered by the County Assessor's office in accordance with Illinois law. CyrusOne will comply with all applicable tax regulations.

Tax revenue is only one component of the total economic impact. This 24/7 operation will increase demand for support services throughout the region, trigger hiring in local companies outside of CyrusOne, and provide hundreds of construction jobs throughout the development lifecycle.

Once fully operational, the campus will employ over 100 permanent, full-time employees for technical operations, facility management, and support roles. These positions draw from a broad range of experience and skillsets, some of which do not require a college degree.

Construction will also create hundreds of jobs over the multi-year build period across various trades and skilled labor. We are committed to prioritizing regional workforce through Sangamon County workforce development programs, ensuring local workers and contractors get first opportunity.

Beyond direct employment, the facility creates substantial indirect economic activity through ongoing maintenance contractors, suppliers, and professional services.

Data centers are clean facilities that do not generate industrial pollutants or hazardous waste. The primary environmental considerations are:

Backup generators that comply with EPA emission standards.

Closed-loop cooling system uses water with corrosion inhibitors and microbiocides added to maintain system integrity. After application of these treatments, the system remains 99.999% water. All system fluids are managed by licensed contractors in accordance with EPA regulations.

Sanitary wastewater (restrooms, sinks) handled through code-compliant septic systems

All operations comply with applicable environmental regulations including EPA standards, Illinois EPA requirements, and local ordinances.

No. We will 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.

No. The closed-loop cooling system is a sealed, self-contained system with no discharge to soil or septic system. The system uses water with corrosion inhibitors and microbiocides added to maintain system integrity. After application of these treatments, the system remains 99.999% water. All system fluids are managed by licensed contractors in accordance with EPA regulations. Any maintenance requiring fluid disposal is handled by certified vendors in full compliance with environmental regulations. The site will use a septic system for non-cooling water discharge and will designed to meet all code requirements for protecting soil and groundwater quality.

We use closed-loop cooling technology that minimizes water consumption. Our water usage will be comparable to a standard office building - primarily for restrooms, basic facility operations, and humidification, not for cooling equipment. Each building is expected to use approximately 1,100 gallons per day on average.

A closed-loop cooling system is a self-contained system that continuously circulates water within the building to remove heat without mixing with the external environment. After the initial fill, there is no daily water usage for cooling since the system remains closed. A small amount of make-up water may be added periodically to account for minor evaporation.

This cooling approach is standard across all new CyrusOne facilities, which means we won't be drawing significant amounts of water from local supplies.

No. We use no uplighting - all lighting is directed downward toward the ground. Our design minimizes light pollution to preserve dark skies.

No. Our water usage is comparable to a standard office building - approximately 1,100 gallons per day per building, primarily for restrooms, basic facility operations, and humidification. Our minimal water usage will not affect local water rates or availability.

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. 

RECC has provided their own FAQ to address these questions which can be found here: https://www.recc.coop/news-info/sangamon-county-data-center-your-questions-answered/

Residential and commercial customers will not see their electric bills increase because of this data center. We selected this site specifically because the grid has available transmission capacity to serve the data center.

Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative (RECC) will deliver electric service to this project, with wholesale electricity transmitted via Ameren Illinois' transmission lines. CyrusOne will pay its full share of energy and transmission costs.

Recent research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that increased electricity demand from large users like data centers tends to lower rates for other customers, as fixed infrastructure costs are spread across more users. States with data center growth, including Virginia and North Dakota, saw electricity prices decrease rather than increase.

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.

The site was strategically selected for its proximity to existing energy infrastructure, including the Double Black Diamond Solar Farm. This area already supports modern energy infrastructure, making it well-suited for complementary technology facilities without disrupting active agricultural operations.

We are entering into an Agricultural Impact Mitigation Agreement with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to ensure surrounding farmland isn't disturbed. We are working directly with Sangamon County to confirm that drainage from our campus doesn't affect neighboring properties.

The facility is designed to be a good neighbor with:

• Downward-facing lighting to preserve dark skies
• Noise mitigation through setbacks and acoustic design
• Minimal traffic once operational
• Landscaping to meet county standards

This demonstrates how modern infrastructure and agriculture can coexist while bringing economic value through job creation and tax revenue for schools and services.

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 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.

Here's what this campus means for the community:

• Nearly $500 million in capital investment
• Hundreds of construction jobs during development
• Permanent full-time careers once operational
• Ongoing property tax revenue supporting schools, fire protection, emergency services and other local priorities
• Increased business for local service providers—maintenance, security, specialized contractors and testing services
• Local hiring priority through Sangamon County's workforce programs

No. The site was selected because the grid has available transmission capacity. We work in close coordination with Ameren, MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator), and the Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative to ensure this facility will not strain the local grid.

Ameren and MISO completed load studies to confirm the load can be added at this location within the transmission network. The enhanced redundancy of our electrical designs also greatly reduces the probability of impacting the grid during operations.

The facility will be served by the local grid through the Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative (RECC), with wholesale electricity transmitted via Ameren Illinois' transmission lines. Backup generators are used only for emergency situations and required maintenance testing (10-15 hours per year). These generators comply with all EPA standards and emissions regulations.

Noise will meet IPCB (Illinois Pollution Control Board) noise standards.

Our facilities are designed to meet and exceed all local noise regulations. Our design team includes acoustic consultants who measure expected noise levels at property boundaries to ensure compliance before construction begins.

All lighting is directed downward with no uplighting, minimizing light pollution and preserving dark skies. Light spill beyond property boundaries is minimized through shielding and directional fixtures.

Noise Mitigation:

• Sound-attenuated cooling equipment
• Sound-attenuated emergency backup generator enclosures
• Critical-grade exhaust silencers on emergency backup generators
• Strategic setbacks from property lines
• Acoustic barriers where needed

Light Mitigation:

• All exterior lighting directed downward
• No uplighting
• Shielded fixtures to prevent light spill
• Design minimizes light pollution to preserve dark skies

Vibration: Data center operations do not generate significant vibration.

Backup generators use diesel fuel with modern emission controls. All testing, maintenance, and operational run times comply with EPA standards and limits.

Generators are used infrequently - generally only used for required maintenance testing and in rare emergency backup situations. All emissions are regulated under EPA standards and state of Illinois air quality regulations.

No. Data centers are clean facilities that do not generate industrial air pollution. The only emissions come from backup generators, which:

• Run only for maintenance testing and in rare emergency backup situations
• Comply with all EPA standards and state of Illinois air quality regulations
• Are comparable to emergency generators at hospitals, schools, and other critical facilities

The facility does not pose health risks to the surrounding community.

The County's established review process includes public hearings before the Zoning Board of Appeals where community members can ask questions and provide input. We are committed to transparency and community engagement. We have also:

• Provided a comprehensive Community FAQ addressing key concerns
• Made ourselves available at communities@cyrusone.com for direct questions
• Engaged with local officials and community leaders
• Offered to participate in community forums

We remain committed to answering questions and addressing concerns throughout the review process and welcome opportunities to engage with the community through appropriate forums.

Questions about future development in Sangamon County are best directed to Sangamon County officials, who maintain full authority over land use decisions and can speak to broader planning considerations.