Data Center Activities Task Force - June 1, 2026 - Champaign County

The Data Center Activities Task Force meeting for Champaign County, Illinois, held on June 1, 2026, focused extensively on the environmental and resource impacts of proposed data centers, particularly regarding water and energy use. Public comments expressed concerns about noise, air pollution, water consumption, and the broader environmental footprint of large-scale data centers. Presentations from experts highlighted the significant water demands of data centers, especially for cooling, and discussed various cooling technologies and their trade-offs in water and energy efficiency. The task force reviewed local water resource capacity, including the Muhammad Aquifer, and discussed regulatory approaches such as moratoriums and transparency requirements for water usage disclosures by data center developers. The meeting also covered infrastructure considerations for wastewater reuse and the financial implications for local utilities. The task force plans to develop recommendations and guidelines for the Environmental Land Use Committee, with further meetings to focus on energy and detailed review of draft regulations.