I’m Mike Hammett. Twenty years running ISP and data center infrastructure in Northern Illinois, co-founding an internet exchange, and watching public narratives about technical systems drift further from operational reality.
Most of what gets written about infrastructure, policy, and public finance is wrong in ways that matter. Not maliciously wrong, usually. Just written by people who’ve never had to make the system work. This site exists to close that gap.
I’ve been publishing infrastructure analysis on LinkedIn for a while. Those articles are now here, along with a handful of local op-ed submissions that hadn’t found a wider audience. Data centers are the current focus. There’s an unusually large amount of misinformation circulating, and it’s starting to affect real decisions. But the same framework applies anywhere the public story doesn’t match how the underlying system actually behaves. There’s no shortage of topics.
If a claim can be checked, it will be. If a number is being misused, that’ll be in the article. If the critics have a point, that’ll be in there too.
Concept site plan for Edged’s proposed Project Vector, ChicagoWest Business Center, DeKalb, IL. Source: December 1, 2025 Planning and Zoning Commission Agenda Packet.
How small changes in transparency can prevent delays, diffuse misinformation, and improve community acceptance.
As someone who works adjacent to the data center world – in telecom, fiber, and the broader infrastructure ecosystem – I’ve spent the last few months filling the information vacuum around new data center proposals. Not because I’m in the industry, and not because I attend public meetings (I don’t), but because residents reach out online when they can’t get clear answers from the people actually building these facilities. When a telecom guy becomes the de facto explainer of your projects, it’s a sign that something in your communication approach isn’t matching the scale and impact of the developments themselves.
I’m pro-infrastructure. I want these facilities built. But supporting data centers doesn’t mean overlooking avoidable communication gaps that make your projects harder than they need to be. Consider this tough love – firm because it matters, fair because it’s warranted, and offered because too many good projects are getting delayed or blocked over misunderstandings that never should have taken root.
The Information Vacuum
Most people in any given community are indifferent or quietly supportive of data center development. But when information is sparse, the loudest voices – sometimes just a handful of people – end up defining the narrative. In the absence of clear, early communication from you, residents fill the gaps with whatever they’ve recently read or watched: crypto mines in Tennessee, water disputes in Oregon, diesel controversies in Ireland, AI hype cycles in California, surveillance conspiracies, or grid-collapse speculation that doesn’t apply to PJM territory at all.
These examples aren’t representative of most cloud-style facilities, especially in northern climates, but the public has no way to know that unless you say so. When you wait until the zoning hearing to speak, you’re not guiding the conversation – you’re trying to unwind months of assumptions.
What Communities Need – and What They’re Not Getting
Communities don’t need customer lists or workload diagrams. They understand confidentiality, NDAs, and the operational reality that workloads evolve over time. Customer mixes change, hardware refreshes shift cooling profiles, and what runs in year one may not match what runs in year five. Nobody expects you to freeze your statements in place.
But residents do need basic categorical clarity – enough to distinguish a standard cloud facility from the worst-case examples they’ve heard about. You can safely say:
“This is standard cloud compute.”
“This is not cryptocurrency mining.”
“This is not a large AI training cluster.”
“This supports everyday business and consumer applications.”
These are broad, durable statements. They don’t violate confidentiality. They simply prevent people from assuming that your project is whatever alarming headline they saw last.
Without even this level of clarity, the imagination fills the vacuum – and rarely in your favor.
The Security Inertia Problem
One of the most common complaints I see is what looks like “Fort Knox around a pond.” Site plans often show vast fenced areas protecting empty land, detention basins, or prairie restoration zones far from the operational building. Residents see this and assume something secretive or hazardous is being hidden.
In reality, this is usually design-by-inertia: security measures intended for the building quietly expand outward until they cover land with no operational sensitivity at all. Nobody is trying to compromise national security by accessing your stormwater pond.
Secure the building, loading docks, electrical rooms, and gensets – absolutely. But fencing off dozens or hundreds of benign acres eliminates opportunities to offer genuine community benefit. Those areas could support mixed-use trails, green space, pollinator habitats, agricultural co-use, fishing ponds, or solar co-siting. Instead, they often become unused no-go zones that reinforce the “secret compound” narrative.
This is one of the easiest, lowest-cost opportunities to build goodwill – and it’s consistently overlooked.
The Jobs Story You’re Not Telling
When you say “30 permanent jobs,” residents often assume that’s the entire economic impact. It’s not – not even close.
Direct operational jobs are fewer in number but highly technical: critical-facilities technicians, electrical and mechanical specialists, network engineers, security staff, logistics personnel, and site managers. These roles are well-paid, high-skill, and persist for the life of the facility.
Contractors and construction-phase trades represent the largest share of total employment during the build-out years. Large data center campuses are constructed in phases over nearly a decade, creating recurring waves of work for electricians, pipefitters, welders, plumbers, masons, steel crews, carpenters, crane operators, heavy-equipment operators, HVAC specialists, low-voltage integrators, fiber crews, concrete teams, and many more. These are long, rolling cycles of employment – not short bursts. As Daniel Golding pointed out in a widely read post, many tradespeople deliberately seek out data center work because it’s stable, complex, and long-term.
Ongoing trades work continues after the initial build-out. Facilities still require contractors for electrical modifications, fiber expansions, new circuits, equipment swaps, mechanical upgrades, plumbing work, generator service, cooling adjustments, preventive maintenance, and periodic retrofits. The headcount is smaller than during peak construction, but it never drops to zero.
And the ripple effects matter, too: full hotels, busy restaurants, steady supplier activity, equipment rentals, constant logistics runs, and improved peering/backhaul opportunities for local ISPs.
If you don’t tell this story, people assume a billion-dollar project creates “30 jobs,” and nothing more – a wildly incomplete picture.
Why Operators Must Show Up
Developers often take the heat for decisions they neither make nor control. They get grilled about workloads, cooling strategies, water profiles, power curves, expansion phases, and operational philosophy. But developers don’t own those decisions – operators do.
When operators remain silent due to internal policies or broad NDAs, the developer becomes the face of secrecy. That’s unfair to the developer and unhelpful to the project. To build trust, operators need to participate directly in communication – even briefly – so that answers come from the people who actually know them.
And let’s be honest – this isn’t the Manhattan Project. People move between data center companies all the time. Even if they’re not sharing proprietary documents, the expertise they gained follows them. The things you’re holding back from communities aren’t meaningful competitive secrets. Over-classification doesn’t keep competitors in the dark; it only keeps residents in the dark – and they’re the ones with the power to delay or block your project.
The Role of Utilities and Media
Utilities need to speak plainly. Electric providers should explain load forecasting, substation upgrades, and reliability planning. Water agencies should clarify regional aquifer behavior and seasonal pump profiles. Fiber builders should explain what they’re installing and whether it benefits the community. Natural gas providers should confirm whether anything has changed (often: nothing).
Journalists are part of this dynamic too. Infrastructure is complex, and newsrooms are stretched thin. Reporters aren’t given months to master hybrid cooling systems, grid-planning frameworks, water science, or enterprise architecture. A constructive suggestion: infrastructure reporters should maintain a small bench of trusted technical advisors – the same way health reporters rely on physicians or finance reporters rely on analysts. Advisors don’t tell them what to write; they help ensure the technical context is accurate. Your transparency makes that possible.
Iteration Beats Silence
No one expects perfection the first time. Communication – like software, cooling systems, and operational tooling – improves through iteration. If something doesn’t land, revise it. If a message confuses instead of clarifies, refine it. Communities forgive imperfection when they see honest effort. Silence and defensiveness are what they won’t forgive.
Not everyone is persuadable, but most people are. The goal isn’t to win over the immovable few; it’s to ensure silence doesn’t let them speak for everyone else.
If I’m Wrong About Anything, You Just Proved the Point
I work closer to this ecosystem than most residents ever will. I read zoning packets, utility filings, engineering documents, and planning memos – and even I still have to infer many details because they aren’t publicly explained. If someone like me can’t get a clear picture, residents have no chance.
If I misunderstood anything here, it shouldn’t be taken as bias or malice. It should be seen for what it is: evidence that essential information isn’t being communicated.
You’re building critical infrastructure. Communities deserve to understand it. And you deserve smoother, more predictable, less adversarial project approvals. Those goals aren’t in conflict – but achieving them requires speaking earlier, more clearly, and more consistently, before someone else fills the silence for you.
– Mike Hammett, Author, Data Center Myth-Busting Series
Methods & Transparency
I utilize a range of AI and automation tools, in conjunction with my own research, to organize and verify complex public data – from DeKalb County tax rolls and DevNet parcel records to PJM TEAC maps and ComEd reliability filings. ChatGPT has been the primary workhorse for synthesis, but I also utilize Copilot, Gemini, Claude, and Grok to cross-check facts, refine tone, and develop Python-based tools for analysis. Grammarly keeps the writing clear – I use it for nearly everything I write, even texts.
Over the past several months, I’ve invested well over 100 hours reviewing, verifying, and refining this information. I have also permanently archived more than 100 key source documents in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to ensure transparency and durability. The work is still ongoing as new filings and community feedback come in.
Every figure and citation is sourced from public records that you can verify independently. My goal is to make complex infrastructure and taxation topics accessible and understandable to everyone in the community. I’m just a local guy with a day job and a family, trying to make the public data we already have a little easier for everyone to understand.
Meta vs. Non-Meta EAV growth along Gurler Road, DeKalb County, 2021–2024. Source: DeKalb County assessment records.
Residents in DeKalb and Sycamore have had understandable questions about how Meta’s data center and other recent developments affect property values, tax bills, and local budgets. With assessments rising and different taxing bodies making different levy decisions, it can be hard to make sense of what’s happening. This addendum consolidates actual county tax bills, public levy notices, parcel-level data, and Enterprise Zone documents to provide a clear explanation of what occurred between 2020 and 2024.
This article is part of the broader series “What Data Centers Actually Mean for Northern Illinois Communities”.It focuses specifically on property taxes – giving residents, officials, and skeptical readers a complete, source-rich breakdown of this topic without having to sift through the whole overview piece.
Illinois uses a levy-based property tax system.[68] Each taxing body – school district, city, park district, township, library, or county – decides how many dollars it needs for the year. The tax rate is then determined automatically:
Rate = Levy ÷ Equalized Assessed Value (EAV).[68][69]
Your tax bill depends not only on your home’s EAV but also on the total EAV of the whole taxing district. When the tax base grows, the same levy can be shared across more value, which lowers the rate and reduces the burden for each resident.[70, “How Rates Are Set”]
This is why large commercial and industrial projects can meaningfully shift the tax load.
2. What an Enterprise Zone Abatement Actually Is
An Enterprise Zone abatement does not refund taxes and does not give money back to a company. It temporarily discounts only a portion of the new value created by the improvement through new construction.[74, “Property Tax Abatement”][75, Subpart J §§520.1000–1030]
Land and pre-existing improvements remain fully taxed. Only a portion of the new value is abated for a fixed period.
A simple way to think about it: Collecting 50% of something is better than collecting 100% of nothing.
Without the project, that new value – and its revenue – would not exist. With it, communities receive millions in new dollars even during the abatement period.[70, FAQ #4]
3. Meta’s Actual Taxes Paid in 2024
Three Meta parcels were fully on the 2024 tax rolls:
Parcel 11-01-100-004 • EAV: $531,240,341 • Total tax: $31,458,804.32[71]
Parcel 11-02-200-004 • EAV: $7,362,771 • Total tax: $587,162.06[72]
Parcel 11-01-100-005 • EAV: $333,896 • Total tax: $26,627.36[73]
Total paid by Meta in 2024:$32,072,593.74
Approximately $19.43 million went to School District 428 (derived from taxing-body splits in [71]–[73]). Another $12.64 million was allocated to the City, County, Park District, Library, Township, Kishwaukee College, and other entities.
These are actual numbers already reflected in local budgets.
4. Meta’s Abatement in Context
The 2024 Enterprise Zone report confirms: • 55% abatement on new improvements • 20-year schedule beginning with 2024 taxes[76, p. 2]
The abated amount on the main parcel’s new improvement value in 2024 was approximately $10.9 million. Without abatement, the total potential would have been roughly $42 million across the phased schedule.[76, p. 3]
Yet, Meta still paid approximately $31.5 million for the main parcel in 2024.
Even with abatement, Meta is one of the largest taxpayers in northern Illinois.
5. DeKalb vs. Sycamore: What Actually Happened to Homeowners (2020–2024)
Nearly all parcels saw EAV increases due to market conditions:[82] • DeKalb: 97.9% of parcels increased • Sycamore: 97.3% of parcels increased
But tax bills diverged sharply:
Parcels where total tax decreased: • DeKalb: 81.5% • Sycamore: 11.2%
Detailed movement (EAV ↑/↓ vs Bill ↑/↓), using 2020–2024 parcel-level data:[82]
The difference is largely due to DeKalb’s rapidly expanding commercial/industrial tax base – Meta, Ferrara, Amazon, and others in District 428 – versus Sycamore’s comparatively slow growth.[82]
Meta vs. Non-Meta EAV growth along Gurler Road, DeKalb County, 2021–2024. Source: DeKalb County assessment records.
Their example shows the Park District line on a ~$300k home rising from ~$511 to ~$633.
However, context matters: From 2019 to 2024, the Park District tax rate decreased by 32%, from 0.72045% to 0.49147%, as the EAV more than doubled.[79]
Even with the proposed 2025 increase, the rate remains 23% lower than in 2019.
8. Why Some Individual Bills Still Rose
Even when a district experiences a strong rate compression overall, individual bills may rise when:
• A particular home’s EAV increases faster than average • Improvements were added • Exemptions changed • Smaller taxing bodies increased levies faster than their EAV rose[70, “Why Bills Vary”]
These are individual circumstances – not contradictions of the multi-year pattern.
9. What This Addendum Does Not Claim
This addendum does not claim: • that taxes never rise • that abatements have no cost • that large taxpayers eliminate levy increases • that every homeowner saw the same outcome
It reports on what occurred from 2020 to 2024, using actual tax bills and official documents.
10. A Call to Action
Residents can request that their taxing bodies provide clearer levy/EAV explanations, side-by-side comparisons, and plain-language breakdowns of how new construction affects tax rates.
Taxing bodies can improve transparency by providing simple levy/EAV charts and clean explanations of each line item.
11. Closing Thoughts
Between 2020 and 2024, DeKalb added hundreds of millions of dollars of new commercial and industrial EAV.[82]
Meta alone contributed more than $32 million in taxes in 2024.[71–73]
This expanded base allowed District 428 and others to maintain necessary revenue while lowering tax rates, resulting in most DeKalb homeowners seeing lower tax bills even as assessments rose.
Sycamore, without similar development, experienced the opposite trend.[82]
The multi-year pattern is clear: When more value shares the load, homeowners benefit.
Methods & Transparency
I utilize a range of AI and automation tools, in conjunction with my own research, to organize and verify complex public data – from DeKalb County tax rolls and DevNet parcel records to PJM TEAC maps and ComEd reliability filings. ChatGPT has been the primary workhorse for synthesis, but I also utilize Copilot, Gemini, Claude, and Grok to cross-check facts, refine tone, and develop Python-based tools for analysis. Grammarly keeps the writing clear – I use it for nearly everything I write, even texts.
Over the past several months, I’ve invested well over 100 hours reviewing, verifying, and refining this information. I have also permanently archived more than 100 key source documents in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to ensure transparency and durability. The work is still ongoing as new filings and community feedback come in.
Every figure and citation is sourced from public records that you can verify independently. My goal is to make complex infrastructure and taxation topics accessible and understandable to everyone in the community. I’m just a local guy with a day job and a family, trying to make the public data we already have a little easier for everyone to understand.
High-voltage transmission towers in the Chicago suburbs. Photo: 1250metersdeep / Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
Since publishing my original article on what data centers mean for our region, many readers have asked whether these facilities are responsible for higher electric bills. This addendum explains how Illinois’ electricity system actually works, why prices rose across PJM, and what is being done to stabilize costs.
This article is part of the broader series “What Data Centers Actually Mean for Northern Illinois Communities”. It focuses specifically on electricity – giving residents, officials, and skeptical readers a complete, source-rich breakdown of this topic without needing to sift through the whole overview piece.
Delivery – the poles, wires, substations, and maintenance regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) [39].
Supply – the energy you use, priced through PJM Interconnection’s wholesale electricity markets [40].
PJM manages the reliability of a 13-state grid. Each year it runs a capacity auction that pays power plants to be available during peak demand three years in advance [41]. These payments function like a hospital keeping extra beds staffed during flu season – not because they’re needed every day, but because they must be ready for unexpected surges [42].
Why prices rose – the regional imbalance
For nearly a decade, PJM had more generating capacity than it needed [43]. That changed in the mid-2020s as three forces reshaped the grid:
1. Plant retirements. PJM reports significant coal and natural-gas retirements across the region in the 2023–2027 period [44]. 2. Higher reliability margins. PJM raised its Installed Reserve Margin (IRM) from ~18% to just over 19% for the 2026/27 auction [45], which translates to several additional gigawatts of required dependable capacity across a 140–150 GW system [64]. 3. Renewable derating. PJM’s ELCC ratings show that wind and solar only count at a fraction of nameplate capacity – onshore wind at ~21–38%, and solar at ~14–50% depending on year and configuration [67].
Meanwhile, PJM’s demand forecast added several gigawatts of new load, including data centers, EV manufacturing, and general growth [47]. But this increase was far smaller than the dependable supply removed by retirements, higher reserve requirements, and derating.
Bottom line: PJM faced a structural shortfall – several gigawatts of new demand versus well over ten gigawatts of effective supply lost on paper. That imbalance, not local projects, drove capacity prices higher across the region [49].
Why Illinois moved with everyone else
Illinois retained its nuclear fleet (Byron, Braidwood, and Dresden), which helps regional reliability. But because PJM sets capacity prices for the entire multi-state system, any shortfall anywhere raises costs everywhere:
Higher auction prices flow through to all load-serving entities, including ComEd.
Illinois didn’t pay for other states’ mistakes – it paid for its share of regional reliability insurance.
What the headlines got wrong
Recent news stories often blamed data centers for rising bills. That narrative was catchy but inaccurate.
The cost increase was regional, not local.
The main drivers were retirements, higher reserve margins, and renewable derating.
Illinois does not subsidize big-tech hookups; ICC rules require large users to pay their own interconnection costs.
Homes and hospitals get priority during emergencies; large users curtail or self-supply first.
Capacity auctions can show sharp local price effects even when system-wide demand from data centers remains modest.
Oversimplified coverage distorted a complex, 13-state reliability issue into a single cause.
Regulatory and legislative responses – and the role of CUB
Illinois and federal agencies are responding to this reliability gap:
Clean and Reliable Grid Act (2025) repealed the state’s nuclear moratorium and authorizes advanced reactors [52].
Grid-scale storage incentives support battery deployment.
ComEd Multi-Year Plan (ICC 24-0181) funds grid modernization and replacement of aging infrastructure [53].
Federal actions include DOE loan programs and FERC Order 1920 on long-distance transmission [54].
This process has been contentious. CUB notes that the ICC ultimately cut 65% of ComEd’s proposed $1.47B increase after finding excessive capital spending [55]. That kept bills lower in the short term, but delaying upgrades also contributed to infrastructure strain across the region.
Local construction, consumer protection, and who pays for upgrades
Large users pay 100% of their interconnection costs[56][58].
ComEd confirms that new large load must pay for its own tie-ins and load-specific upgrades [59].
Pending legislation (SB 2181 / HB 4120) would enhance usage reporting and strengthen ICC oversight [60].
Residential customers do not subsidize corporate hookups.
Who gets priority during grid stress
Emergency plans are unambiguous:
Homes, hospitals, and essential services are treated as firm load under NERC rules [61].
Many large industrial facilities – especially data centers – take interruptible or curtailable service and operate backup generation [62].
In practice, large users curtail first, preserving neighborhood reliability.
The idea that industry gets priority over residents is simply false.
Consumer impact – and how to read your bill
A typical household uses ~800–900 kWh per month with a bill in the low-$100s [63].
Delivery: 45–50% – ComEd infrastructure and maintenance (ICC-regulated) Supply: 40–45% – Energy + PJM capacity costs Taxes & Riders: 5–10% – State and municipal programs
2024–2026 cost drivers
Driver Monthly impact Notes PJM reliability / capacity +$8–12 Region-wide tightening [64] Delivery modernization +$5–6 ICC 24-0181 State policy riders +$1–2 Various programs Data-center load ~$0–$2 Modest system impact; localized auction effects in some zones [66]
PJM’s Market Monitor found that data center load affected the 2026/27 capacity auction in certain pockets [66], but that effect occurred on top of the region-wide shortfall created by retiring plants and increased reserve requirements.
The nuclear revival
Nuclear power remains the backbone of Illinois’ reliability. With the moratorium lifted, the state can now pursue both advanced large reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs)[52]. These plants:
Provide multi-day onsite fuel
Deliver stable operating costs
Offer high reliability value in PJM
Reduce dependence on natural gas
Fit well into Illinois’ existing transmission corridors
As the state maintains its existing fleet and explores new nuclear development, nuclear energy will be central to long-term cost stability and grid security.
Myths vs. facts
Myth: “Data centers caused bills to spike.” Fact: The major drivers were retirements, higher reserve margins, and renewable derating. Data centers influenced one auction year in some pockets but were not the primary region-wide cause [66].
Myth: “Industry gets power before homes.” Fact: Homes and hospitals are firm load; large users curtail and rely on generators during emergencies [61][62].
Myth: “Ratepayers fund corporate hookups.” Fact: ICC and PJM rules require large customers to fund their own interconnections [58][59].
Myth: “ComEd raises rates whenever it wants.” Fact: All delivery rates require ICC review and public comment.
Myth: “Renewables can replace all firm generation.” Fact: PJM’s ELCC shows wind and solar count only partially toward reliability, making firm resources essential [67].
Looking ahead
Illinois and PJM are rebuilding the dependable capacity that keeps the lights on. Grid modernization, advanced nuclear, and long-distance transmission planning should gradually ease costs over the late 2020s. Higher bills today reflect the cost of rebuilding reliability after years of under-investment – not the result of recent development. Data centers did not create the structural shortfall; in many cases, they help fund the solutions.
Methods & Transparency
I utilize a range of AI and automation tools, in conjunction with my own research, to organize and verify complex public data – from DeKalb County tax rolls and DevNet parcel records to PJM TEAC maps and ComEd reliability filings. ChatGPT has been the primary workhorse for synthesis, but I also utilize Copilot, Gemini, Claude, and Grok to cross-check facts, refine tone, and develop Python-based tools for analysis. Grammarly keeps the writing clear – I use it for nearly everything I write, even texts.
Over the past several months, I’ve invested well over 100 hours reviewing, verifying, and refining this information. I have also permanently archived more than 100 key source documents in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to ensure transparency and durability. The work is still ongoing as new filings and community feedback come in.
Every figure and citation is sourced from public records that you can verify independently. My goal is to make complex infrastructure and taxation topics accessible and understandable to everyone in the community. I’m just a local guy with a day job and a family, trying to make the public data we already have a little easier for everyone to understand.
Meta’s DeKalb, Illinois data center campus. Source: Meta.
A fact-checked look at taxes, water, power, and local control
TL;DR: Data-center projects along I-88 have added hundreds of millions in new taxable value – about $200 million in 2024 alone – helping local governments cut tax rates around 20 % while expanding services. Modern campuses use hybrid cooling that cuts water use ~80 %, and Illinois’ grid – increasingly powered by nuclear and renewables – keeps them largely carbon-free. Every project operates under local water caps, noise rules, and open-record laws that ensure community control.
I’ve broken out the more technical deep dives into standalone addenda to keep this article readable. They’re linked below.
Cornfields along I-88 have rapidly transformed into billion-dollar data-center campuses. That pace of change has sparked valid questions: Will they drain our water? Overload the grid? Take over farmland or raise taxes?
Those are fair questions – and the public record already has the answers. Northern Illinois’ filings, maps, and grid documents reveal what’s really happening when digital infrastructure moves in.
What Growth Really Means
DeKalb’s experience offers the clearest picture. County parcel records show hundreds of millions of dollars in new equalized-assessed value (EAV) added since Meta began construction on Gurler Road [1][2]. In 2024 alone, more than $200 million was added to the rolls [2].
That growth allowed the city and park district to cut property-tax rates by roughly 20 % while still expanding services [5]. District 428 used its more substantial base to fund new early-childhood and special-education programs [6][7].
EAV growth comparison: parcels near Meta’s DeKalb campus vs. the broader county. Source: DeKalb County parcel records.
Even homes directly across from the Meta campus have seen an increase in assessed value, while 2024 tax bills fell, indicating that the project hasn’t depressed nearby property values [3][4].
A campus on the order of ~50 acres – like Batavia’s current proposal – can generate the property-tax revenue of an entire subdivision while producing only a fraction of the traffic and city-service demand [8]. When abatements expire, that value remains for decades – permanently strengthening local finances.
Enterprise-Zone transparency: DeKalb’s enterprise-zone agreements grant 20-year, 55 % property-tax abatements tied to large capital investment and local-jobs targets. Full revenues ramp up over time, but once the abatements phase out, the EAV stays on the rolls [38].
Water: Separating Facts from Fears
The biggest misconception is water use. Modern data centers rely on closed-loop and hybrid chillers that reuse the same water repeatedly, drawing only small top-offs during the hottest weather.
“These systems use ~80 % less water than older cooling towers.” – U.S. Department of Energy, 2024 [9]
Yorkville’s Project Cardinal, for example, is capped near 350,000 gpd across ~1,100 acres – roughly one-quarter the water per acre of a typical subdivision[10]. Batavia’s pending project is limited to only 1,000 gallons per day[8].
Some cities are even exploring non-potable water sources – reusing treated or reclaimed water that would otherwise be discharged – thereby eliminating nearly all impact on household supplies.
Meta, for its part, has pledged to be water-positive by 2030 – restoring more water to local watersheds than it consumes [11][12].
Quick Compare ▶ Water and Land Efficiency
Water use per acre
Typical subdivision: ~4,000–5,000 gallons per day
Modern data center: ≈ 1,000 gpd
Bataviadata center: ≈ 1,000 gpd total for the Batavia project [8]
Land use for value
Typical subdivision: ≈ 500 acres per $1 billion in taxable value
Modern data center: ≈ 50 acres per $1 billion EAV
Utility solar farm: ≈ 2,000 acres per $0.25–0.3 billion in assets [28][29]
Power: How the Grid Actually Works
Northern Illinois isn’t an island; ComEd sits inside PJM’s 13-state grid stretching from Illinois to the East Coast [13]. PJM balances supply and demand every few minutes through its real-time market [14].
Adding a data center load here doesn’t destabilize the grid – it keeps jobs, the tax base, and infrastructure investment in our region, instead of somewhere else.
Large users also help finance reliable generation. Meta’s 20-year carbon-free agreement with Constellation keeps the Clinton nuclear plant operational [15], while Amazon and others have similar long-term clean energy contracts. The same nuclear facilities that serve data centers also stabilize wholesale prices for every Illinois ratepayer.
Illinois’ Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act now allows new nuclear development to begin in 2026 [16][17], reflecting confidence that steady baseload power complements renewables.
Even Naperville’s current proposal – still under review after public debate – shows how local oversight and state-level policy align to manage growth responsibly [18][19].
How Communities Manage Growth
Across Northern Illinois, cities are shaping development on their own terms:
DeKalb has approved some projects and denied others – including a 2025 “boutique” data center and solar proposal on Peace Road that failed twice before the City Council [37].
Batavia capped water use at 1,000 gallons per day (gpd) and oversees the project through its municipal utility [8].
Yorkville & Plano require developers to fund all road, water, and utility extensions before annexation [32].
Rochelle has hosted data centers for more than a decade under its Rate 163 tariff, using local generation to stabilize customer rates [20][21].
Aurora enacted a temporary moratorium in Sept 2025 to update design and noise standards [22][23].
Naperville already operates several small facilities quietly within its business parks [18][19].
Different paths, same outcome: clear expectations, transparent review, and measurable community benefit.
Farmland and Land Use
Illinois loses far more farmland to low-density residential sprawl than to any other type of development [27]. Modern data-center campuses are land-efficient – often only a few dozen acres per billion dollars of taxable value.
By comparison, solar facilities like the Burr Oak Solar Project occupy approximately 2,000 acres for a capacity of roughly 200 MW – 5 to 10 acres per MW[28][29]. Concentrating high-value, low-impact uses near existing transmission and fiber corridors helps preserve thousands of acres elsewhere for agriculture.
Transparency and Trust
Healthy skepticism makes communities stronger. Illinois’ Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Acts guarantee that local records are public [30][31]. Yorkville goes further, requiring an independent engineering review and continuous noise monitoring throughout each data center build [32][33].
Open processes like these keep the conversation anchored in verifiable facts rather than speculation.
Managing Construction and Operation
Construction brings trucks and dust – that’s why Illinois’ Construction General Permit (ILR10) and local ordinances regulate work hours, runoff, and haul routes [24].
Once operating, these facilities are tranquil. Backup generators are tested briefly each month under Illinois EPA permits that limit total runtime [25]. Landscaping, berms, and shielded lighting make them unobtrusive neighbors.
Shared Benefits and a Path Forward
Meta’s DeKalb campus alone has provided over $1 million in community grants to local schools and nonprofits [26]. Beyond those visible donations are quieter gains: modernized substations, stronger broadband routes, and more resilient municipal budgets.
Handled responsibly, data-center growth strengthens the very systems every resident relies on. Northern Illinois can either lead this balanced progress – or watch the investment migrate elsewhere. Let the data guide that choice.
Methods & Transparency
I utilize a range of AI and automation tools, in conjunction with my own research, to organize and verify complex public data – from DeKalb County tax rolls and DevNet parcel records to PJM TEAC maps and ComEd reliability filings. ChatGPT has been the primary workhorse for synthesis, but I also utilize Copilot, Gemini, Claude, and Grok to cross-check facts, refine tone, and develop Python-based tools for analysis. Grammarly keeps the writing clear – I use it for nearly everything I write, even texts.
Over the past several months, I’ve invested well over 100 hours reviewing, verifying, and refining this information. I have also permanently archived more than 100 key source documents in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to ensure transparency and durability. The work is still ongoing as new filings and community feedback come in.
Every figure and citation is sourced from public records that you can verify independently. My goal is to make complex infrastructure and taxation topics accessible and understandable to everyone in the community. I’m just a local guy with a day job and a family, trying to make the public data we already have a little easier for everyone to understand.
If you’d like a deeper, fully-sourced explanation of why electric bills rose statewide, how PJM Interconnection pricing actually works, and what role data centers do and don’t play in local rates, see the standalone addendum: Why Electric Bills Really Rose, and What It Means for Data Centers
For the full breakdown of how EAV growth, levy decisions, and data-center contributions combine to affect property tax bills in DeKalb County, see the addendum here: Property Values, EAV Growth & Property Taxes Addendum
This or a similar version was submitted to multiple outlets including Kendall County Now on October 29, 2025.
Yorkville is growing fast, and with that growth come tough questions about water bills, schools, and the kind of community we want to be. The two proposed data-center campuses – Project Cardinal and Project Steel – show how smart planning can turn big-ticket developments into local benefits.
Together, these projects would invest more than a billion dollars across about 1,500 acres on the city’s west side. The City Council has approved the overall plans, but final zoning won’t take effect until developers sign separate utility and development agreements next year. That means every commitment – roads, utilities, and payments – must be spelled out before construction begins.
The good news for residents is simple: developers pay, residents don’t. Both companies are funding their own off-site work, including a $231,000 engineering study, new roundabouts, and the water-system improvements needed to serve the sites. None of it comes from local tax dollars.
Water use, a common concern, is well within capacity. Project Cardinal is projected to use about 350,000 gallons a day and Project Steel about 130,000 – together less than 10 percent of Yorkville’s future Lake Michigan supply. City Administrator Bart Olson confirmed the pipeline was already financed before these projects appeared. Their steady demand actually helps spread those costs, taking pressure off everyone else’s water bills once the system is online.
Schools are another area where these projects can help. District 115 is facing crowding, portable classrooms, and roughly $45 million in debt. Data centers add a large, stable tax base without adding students, meaning more dollars for education and fewer new expenses.
Residents have raised valid questions about noise, traffic, and farmland loss. Yorkville’s agreements already require eight-foot berms, landscaping, strict height limits, quiet equipment, and continuous noise monitoring for the next 20 years. Developers will realign roads and designate truck routes to keep heavy vehicles out of neighborhoods. Concentrating large projects along major corridors helps preserve open land elsewhere and reduces the kind of sprawl that drives long-term costs higher.
Other communities are noticing. Plano has a 500-acre Microsoft site under study, and another 230-acre CyrusOne campus is planned east of Eldamain Road. Altogether, more than 3,000 acres of potential data-center land are in motion across Kendall County. The region is becoming part of Illinois’s new digital-infrastructure corridor – and Yorkville’s deliberate, transparent process is setting the standard.
Every project changes the landscape, but this one brings the resources to strengthen what matters most: our schools, our water system, and our financial stability. When development pays its own way and the community sets the rules up front, everyone benefits.
Mike Hammett has worked in Internet and network infrastructure for more than 20 years and lives in DeKalb County. He has no financial interest in any current Kendall County proposal.
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.
This or a similar version was submitted to multiple outlets including the Rochelle News-Leader on October 24, 2025.
Data Centers, Power, and Progress: Lessons from DeKalb’s Experience
Rochelle stands at the doorstep of another wave of technology investment: data centers. Questions about water, energy, and neighborhood impact are natural – but so are the opportunities. Just to our east, DeKalb’s experience shows what happens when these projects are planned with transparency and balance.
Meta’s DeKalb campus brought more than $1 billion in private investment, 1,200 construction jobs, and about 200 permanent positions. The city’s equalized assessed value rose by more than one-third in a single year, allowing both the city and park district to cut their tax rates by over 20 percent while maintaining services. Those changes stabilized bills for residents today and built a stronger revenue base for tomorrow. For a community like Rochelle – with its own municipal utility and a long record of industrial stewardship – that’s a model worth studying.
Quiet neighbors. Rochelle already hosts data centers for Allstate, Northern Trust, and Rochelle Municipal Utilities. They’ve operated quietly and responsibly for more than a decade. Backup generators run only for brief tests or emergencies, and sound enclosures keep noise below residential levels.
Water and environment. Modern facilities focus on efficiency and reuse rather than continuous draw. Major operators have pledged to be water-positive by 2030 – restoring more water to local ecosystems than they consume through reclaimed-water and watershed projects. Preliminary figures discussed publicly place daily use in the tens of thousands of gallons – comparable to other industrial facilities already active in Rochelle’s business parks, such as food processors and distribution centers. Unlike those operations, many data centers can recycle cooling water or switch to air-cooled systems in cooler months.
Power and rates. Northern Illinois is served by ComEd as part of the PJM regional grid, which balances electricity supply and demand across 13 states. When demand rises anywhere in that system, capacity prices tend to rise for all utilities – including Rochelle’s. If we already share those regional cost trends, it makes sense to welcome balanced local projects that bring jobs, tax base, and infrastructure improvements in return.
The proposed load discussed for Rochelle – around 50 megawatts – sounds large but fits comfortably within the city’s available capacity. Rochelle Municipal Utilities already serves major manufacturers, rail operations, and cold-storage facilities whose combined demand is of similar scale. A data center would join that mix as another managed industrial customer, not an unprecedented burden.
Rochelle’s municipal generation gives it a unique advantage. By “peak-shaving” – running local units during the most expensive hours – RMU lowers costs for everyone on its system. RMU Superintendent Blake Toliver has explained that large special-contract customers procure their own energy, and the utility uses market hedging to shield residential rates. Its wholesale-power contract locks in rate stability through 2029, and any new facility would operate under terms that protect ratepayers, according to City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh.
Meanwhile, ComEd’s Kishwaukee Area Reliability Expansion (KARE) project is strengthening the shared backbone between Afton Township and the lines serving Rochelle – investments that improve reliability for homes, schools, and businesses alike.
Planning responsibly. Rochelle has decades of experience balancing industrial growth with community quality of life. The same principles apply here:
Commission independent noise and water studies.
Maintain scaled setbacks and visual buffers.
Be transparent about who funds and maintains utility extensions.
As City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh has said, the city won’t recruit a project that doesn’t benefit the community. That openness is exactly what builds trust.
Most reputable developers already meet or exceed these standards. The key is open communication so residents understand both the real impacts and the real benefits.
As someone who works in Internet and data-center infrastructure right here in Northern Illinois, I have no financial interest in Rochelle’s proposals – only an interest in seeing our region thrive. DeKalb’s success proves that data centers can be quiet neighbors, strong taxpayers, and partners in sustainability. With clear planning and public understanding, Rochelle can do the same – turning cautious curiosity into confident, well-managed growth.
A longer version of this column, with full source citations and supporting documents, will be posted on my LinkedIn page.
Mike Hammett has worked in Internet and data-center infrastructure for more than 20 years and lives in DeKalb County. He has no financial interest in any current data-center proposals.
This or a similar version was submitted to multiple outlets including the Aurora Beacon-News on October 23, 2025.
Data Centers, Power, and Progress: What Aurora Can Learn from DeKalb
Aurora earned its name as “The City of Lights” by pioneering electric streetlights more than a century ago – a reminder that forward-thinking investment can shape a city’s future. That same forward-looking spirit continues today as Aurora considers proposals for new data-center developments along the I-88 corridor.
These projects have raised familiar questions about energy use, water demand, and neighborhood impact. Just 25 miles west, DeKalb’s Meta Data Center shows how those concerns can be addressed responsibly.
The DeKalb site represents more than $1 billion in private investment, employed over 1,200 skilled tradespeople during construction, and now supports roughly 200 long-term jobs. Since 2021, Meta has contributed more than $1.2 million to local schools and nonprofits, helping classrooms and community programs alike.
That campus also added over $100 million to DeKalb’s tax base, allowing the city and park district to lower tax rates while expanding services. The result is a stronger, more stable foundation for residents – exactly the kind of balance Aurora seeks as it grows.
Addressing Common Concerns
Quiet operations: Modern data centers are built to blend into their surroundings. Backup generators test briefly each month, and with setbacks, berms, and sound barriers, noise seldom carries beyond the property line. Aurora already hosts several such facilities that have operated quietly for years – proof that technology and livability can coexist.
Water efficiency: Meta designs its facilities to minimize water use and has committed to being water-positive by 2030, meaning it will restore more water to regional watersheds than it consumes through verified conservation projects. These are measurable, not marketing, commitments – and they set a standard any new developer should meet.
Community feedback: Some Aurora residents have voiced concerns about noise, vibration, or infrastructure strain near existing data centers. The city is addressing those issues through its current moratorium and updated code review. It’s worth noting that, compared with traditional manufacturing or logistics uses, data centers are among the cleanest and quietest forms of industrial development – producing little traffic, minimal emissions, and steady tax revenue without day-to-day disruption.
Energy and the Regional Grid
Northern Illinois is part of the PJM Interconnection, a 13-state power market that shares both generation and cost. Whether large campuses rise in Illinois, Ohio, or Virginia, PJM’s wholesale prices move together. Since our region already contributes to those costs, it makes sense to keep the jobs, tax base, and infrastructure investment here at home.
Aurora already benefits from a strong and diverse regional transmission network, providing reliable capacity for residents and businesses alike – an advantage that many nearby communities envy.
Planning Responsibly
Aurora’s current pause on new data-center approvals is an opportunity to learn from nearby communities. A moratorium doesn’t mean “no”; it means “not yet – at least not without the right standards.” By using this time to refine requirements for energy, water, and community benefit, Aurora can emerge stronger and more prepared than peers who rushed ahead.
The city can further build confidence by requiring:
Independent water and noise studies,
Thoughtful setbacks and landscaping, and
Transparency on who funds infrastructure improvements.
Most reputable developers already meet these expectations. With facts on the table, discussion turns from fear to balance – focusing on how growth can serve both community and economy.
A Local Perspective
I live in DeKalb County and work in Internet and data-center infrastructure. I have no financial stake in any Aurora proposals – only a desire to see our region grow responsibly and sustainably.
DeKalb’s experience proves that technology growth, when planned with foresight, can strengthen both communities and public services. Aurora has every opportunity to follow that path – continuing its legacy as The City of Lights by leading with balance, sustainability, and innovation in the digital age.
Mike Hammett has worked in Internet and data-center infrastructure for more than 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.
This or a similar version was submitted to multiple outlets including the Kane County Chronicle on October 22, 2025.
Planning for Progress – What Batavia Can Learn from DeKalb
Across northern Illinois, communities are deciding how to handle a new wave of digital-infrastructure investment. Batavia is one of them. The pending Hut 8 data-center proposal has prompted questions about power, water, and neighborhood impact – all fair concerns.
Just west of here, DeKalb’s Meta Data Center faced similar questions and shows what responsible planning can accomplish. Meta invested over $1 billion, employed more than 1,200 construction workers, and supports about 200 full-time jobs. Since 2021, it has awarded over $1.2 million in grants to local schools and nonprofits and committed to be water-positive by 2030 – restoring more water to local ecosystems than it consumes.
According to DeKalb County officials, Meta’s 2024 assessment added about $103 million to the county’s taxable base, helping lower the property-tax rate while maintaining services. Evidence from DeKalb suggests that, when planned well, data centers can strengthen local finances rather than strain them.
Batavia’s Local Advantage
Unlike most suburbs, Batavia operates its own municipal electric utility, giving residents a direct voice in how major users connect to the grid, what infrastructure they help fund, and what standards govern reliability.
Because Batavia purchases wholesale power and manages its own substations and feeders, each new industrial load requires coordination – but that’s a strength. Through the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency (NIMPA) – whose members are Batavia, Geneva, and Rochelle – the city already collaborates regionally to secure long-term power and reliability. That cooperative model shows how municipal utilities can manage large projects responsibly.
Learning from Nearby Examples
Batavia’s pending Hut 8 proposal isn’t a done deal – it’s an opportunity to apply what our neighbors have already learned. DeKalb proved that clear expectations and cooperation can turn questions into long-term community gains.
Aurora, just to the south, has seen both sides of the story. Established campuses operated by CyrusOne, Edged, and others brought investment, but after rapid early growth the city paused new approvals to address resident concerns – showing the value of transparency early in the process.
To the east, West Chicago’s SBA Edge campus (formerly New Continuum) anchors the same ComEd and fiber corridor that serves Batavia. It operates quietly and reliably, illustrating that these facilities can coexist with neighborhoods when they’re sited and managed well.
Together, these lessons give Batavia the benefit of hindsight – the chance to plan once and get it right.
Addressing Common Concerns
Noise: Modern data centers are remarkably quiet. Backup generators run only brief monthly tests or during rare outages, and sound is buffered through setbacks, berms, and enclosures.
Water and Local Oversight: The proposed Batavia facility won’t have the water-use problems people often fear. The city required a closed-loop cooling system that recycles water and capped use at 1,000 gallons per day – roughly a few households’ worth. Officials say the impact on Batavia’s system will be minimal, and consumption will be monitored under the operating agreement. If managed as proposed, Batavia can capture the economic upside without added measurable strain on its water supply.
Fairness: When planned properly, large projects fund most of the infrastructure they need – feeders, roads, and utility extensions – so homeowners aren’t left paying for them.
Understanding the Power Equation
Northern Illinois is part of the PJM Interconnection, a 13-state regional grid that shares both generation and costs. Whether a large campus is built in Ohio, Virginia, or Illinois, those wholesale prices ripple across all PJM states.
Since Batavia ratepayers already share those regional costs, it makes sense to keep some of the benefits here – local jobs, tax revenue, and utility investment. A responsibly sized project like Hut 8 won’t reshape the grid overnight, but it can improve local reliability and spread fixed costs across a broader base.
Planning Responsibly
Public caution is healthy. These facilities are large and technical, and they deserve careful review. But the technology itself isn’t the problem – it’s how we plan for it.
Batavia can set the standard by requiring:
Independent studies for water and noise impacts,
Scaled setbacks and landscape buffers, and
Transparent cost-sharing plans for utility upgrades.
When expectations are clear and public, projects move forward with less controversy and greater benefit.
A Local Perspective
I live in DeKalb County and work in Internet and data-center infrastructure. I have no financial stake in any current proposal; my interest is seeing our region grow responsibly.
DeKalb’s experience shows that technology and community can coexist. With thoughtful planning and open communication, Batavia can do the same – strengthening its tax base, improving reliability, and ensuring environmental accountability without losing the character that defines the city.
Mike Hammett lives in DeKalb County and has over 20 years of experience in Internet and data-center infrastructure. He has no financial interest in current data-center proposals.
