Community Insight Panel On Data Centers

BLOOMINGTON, IL -- The Bloomington-Normal Data Center Community Forum, hosted by Susan Saunders, brought together industry, environmental and energy experts to discuss data centers and their potential impacts on our community. The conversation covered water and energy use, economic development, jobs, environmental concerns, infrastructure and potential safeguards for future projects.

Click Here To See The List Of Submitted Questions By The Community

Panelists

Adam Zellner - President, Greener by Design. Adjunct Professor, Rutgers University.

Matthew Rasche - Naperville Township Assessor

Michael Brown - Executive Director, Ecology Action Center (EAC)

Scott Allen - Citizen’s Utility Board, Energy Policy Specialist

Brad Tietz - Director, State Government Affairs – Midwest, Data Center Coalition

Andrew Rehn - Director of Climate Policy, Prairie Rivers Network

Current Regulatory Status

Both Bloomington and Normal currently have moratoriums on hyperscale data centers while the communities evaluate potential regulations. Following the August 26 forum, each community will continue its respective public review process, including opportunities for residents to provide input before proposed regulations are considered by their respective governing bodies.

Purpose of the Forum

The forum is designed to facilitate transparent, fact‑based discussion and share insights from a broad range of experts. It will help inform both communities’ ongoing evaluation of data center impacts, including environmental considerations, land use, infrastructure needs, economic factors, and community input.  

Both the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal remain firmly committed to transparency and creating a thoughtful, community‑centered process as they evaluate future data center regulations. They are dedicated to ensuring that residents’ questions are answered, feedback is actively solicited, and stakeholders are meaningfully engaged throughout each step of the regulatory process.