What DeKalb’s Experience Shows About Data Centers and Community Growth

This or a similar version was submitted to multiple outlets including the Daily Chronicle on October 29, 2025.

Data Centers, Power, and Progress: What DeKalb’s Experience Really Shows

In recent years, data centers have sparked debate in many Illinois communities. Concerns about water, noise, and energy are understandable – but so is the opportunity. Here in DeKalb, we’ve already seen what responsible planning can accomplish: a stronger, more stable community.

Meta’s DeKalb Data Center represents a $1 billion investment that created over 1,200 construction jobs and now supports around 200 full-time positions. Since opening, Meta has provided more than $1 million in community grants supporting local schools, food programs, and nonprofits – real benefits residents can see and feel.

Real Fiscal Impact

The campus has added over $100 million in equalized assessed value (EAV) to DeKalb’s tax base. Even under its 20-year, 55 percent Enterprise Zone abatement, roughly half of that value is already taxed – and when the agreement expires, the full amount will stay on the rolls for decades.

That growth has strengthened funding for DeKalb School District 428, the city, and the park district, while allowing local taxing bodies to reduce their property-tax rates and still increase revenue. As a homeowner myself, I’ve seen my own tax rate fall thanks to that expanding base. It’s a rare case of major development that actually lightens the load on existing taxpayers.

Addressing Common Concerns

Noise: Modern data centers are quiet neighbors. Backup generators run only for brief, scheduled tests and are enclosed within acoustic barriers and landscaped setbacks that make them inaudible beyond a few hundred yards.

Water: Water use at the site is governed by city service agreements and reported under confidentiality. While specific figures aren’t public, Meta has committed to become “water positive by 2030,” restoring more water to the environment than it consumes. The company advances that goal through efficiency improvements, use of non-potable sources where feasible, and watershed-restoration projects verified by independent environmental partners. For perspective, the facility’s draw is modest compared with what a manufacturing or food-processing plant of similar scale would require.

The Power Question

Large facilities do use substantial electricity – but they also bring investment that benefits everyone. The Kishwaukee Area Reliability Extension (KARE), a 345-kilovolt transmission upgrade, now anchors stronger electric service for the DeKalb region. It was designed to handle both today’s needs and future growth, improving reliability for homes, farms, and businesses alike.

We already share the cost of regional electricity whether new data centers are built here or somewhere else – that’s how the PJM Interconnection, a 13-state grid, works. Hosting them locally lets us keep the tax base, jobs, and infrastructure upgrades here at home.

Following Facts, Not Fears

Recent debate has revisited familiar worries – noise, water, property values, and transparency. Those same fears were raised before Meta built here, and every measurable outcome since then has proven them wrong. The facility is quiet, efficient, and visually unobtrusive, and it has strengthened rather than strained local finances.

It’s easy for misinformation to spread when projects involve technical details, but the facts are straightforward: DeKalb has already proven that responsible, large-scale development can fit comfortably within the community’s character. We shouldn’t let unsupported claims or online speculation steer future decisions.

Looking Ahead

The recent City Council decision to turn down a smaller proposal on Peace Road shows that DeKalb’s review process works – we evaluate projects carefully, not automatically. DeKalb’s growth has come on local terms, through zoning, enterprise agreements, and oversight that keep decisions in the hands of our own elected boards.

My hope is that future proposals meet those same proven standards that made this one succeed. DeKalb has shown what responsible growth looks like: thoughtful, fact-based, and accountable to residents.

A Local Perspective

I live here in DeKalb County and work in Internet and communications infrastructure – the systems that move data between homes, businesses, and the online services people rely on every day. My work gives me a front-row seat to how these facilities operate and how they quietly support the digital life we all depend on. I have no financial stake in any current projects – only a stake in our community’s success.

From where I sit, the lesson is clear: responsible data-center development has already made DeKalb stronger – and, done right, it can continue to do so. With facts, transparency, and steady planning, we can welcome growth that benefits every resident.

Mike Hammett has worked in Internet and communications infrastructure for over two decades and lives in DeKalb County. He has no financial interest in any current data-center proposals. Readers can connect with him on LinkedIn.