(The Center Square) – Tensions ran high at a public forum in Decatur on Monday night, as debates over data centers keep raging in Illinois and across the country.
The Citizen’s Voluntary Advisory Committee on Data Centers held the event at the Decatur Civic Center and presented its report that said the challenges presented by data center development can be accepted by Macon County and “reasonably mitigated.”
kAm%96 C6A@CE 4@?4=F565 E92E E96 36?67:ED 7@C 4@F?EJ C6D:56?ED “A@D:E:G6=J 32=2?46” E@H2C5 C62D@?23=6 52E2 46?E6C 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am
kAm(96? A6@A=6 :? E96 2F5:6?46 3682? AC@E6DE:?8 =@F5=J[ r'pr 492:C>2? y6CCJ $E@4<D D2:5 E9@D6 H9@ H6C6 D9@FE:?8 5:5 ?@E F?56CDE2?5 6?@F89 E@ 6?8286 :? :?E6==:86?E 5632E6]k^Am
kAm“x’> ?@E 8@??2 92G6 >J 4@>>F?:EJ A:C2E65 3J A6@A=6 @7 J@FC :=< E92E 2C6 :==\:?7@C>65[ E92E D66< ?@E9:?8 3FE E96 564@?DECF4E:@? @7 E96 AC@8C6DD @7 E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ[” $E@4<D D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E@4<D D2:5 9:D 72>:=J 92D 366? :? E96 2C62 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“%96 A6@A=6 FA 96C6 2?5 @E96C A6@A=6 :? E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ 2C6 DE2?5:?8 FA E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E H6 5@ ?@E 92G6 @FCD6=G6D 2D 2?@E96C s2?G:==6[ @C 2?@E96C r2:C@[ @C 2?@E96C 56AC6DD65 4@>>F?:EJ[” $E@4<D D2:5]k^Am
kAm#6D:56?ED 2=D@ 925 E96 492?46 E@ DA62<[ H:E9 D@>6 6IAC6DD:?8 @AA@D:E:@? E@ 52E2 46?E6CD 2?5 @E96CD 4:E:?8 64@?@>:4 36?67:ED 7C@> 56G6=@A>6?ED :? @E96C A2CED @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A D2:5 :? 2 D@4:2= >65:2 A@DE @? |@?52J E92E r9:?2 4@F=5 ?@E 36 92AA:6C H:E9 E96 2?E:\52E2 46?E6C >@G6>6?E :? E96 &]$]k^Am
kAm“%96 @?=J C62D@? E92E 4@>>F?:E:6D E9C@F89@FE E96 &]$]p] D9@F=5 ?@E H2?E 52E2 46?E6CD :D :7 E96J H2?E E@ 6?5 FA 36:?8 324<H2C5D 2?5 A@@C] x7 E96J H2?E E@ 36 DF446DD7F= 2?5 C:49[ H:E9 72C =@H6C E2I6D 2?5 ;@3D 2== @G6C E96 A=246[ =6E s2E2 #6:8?[” %CF>A k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^ECFE9D@4:2=]4@>^oC62=s@?2=5%CF>A^A@DED^``f`h_cffcc_`fbfhdQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mA@DE65k^DEC@?8mk^2m]k^Am
kAmx==:?@:D #6AF3=:42? 8F36C?2E@C:2= 42?5:52E6 s2CC6? q2:=6J D2:5 96 2?5 E96 AC6D:56?E 5@ ?@E D66 6J6 E@ 6J6 @? E9:D :DDF6]k^Am
kAm“pD x EC2G6= 24C@DD x==:?@:D[ x 962C E96 D2>6 4@?46C?Di >2DD:G6 52E2 46?E6CD 2C6 E9C62E6?:?8 72C>=2?5[ DEC2:?:?8 @FC A@H6C 8C:5 2?5 5C:G:?8 FA 4@DED[” q2:=6J D2:5 :? 2 D@4:2= >65:2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^s2CC6?q2:=6Jx{^DE2EFD^a_hccfb_c_`b_`_`ef_Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mA@DEk^DEC@?8mk^2m]k^Am
kAmx? yF?6[ v@G] y]q] !C:EK<6C @C56C65 E96 x==:?@:D s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@>>6C46 2?5 t4@?@>:4 ~AA@CEF?:EJ E@ A2FD6 E2I :?46?E:G6D 7@C 52E2 46?E6CD] %96 @C56C E@@< @? yF=J `]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 ?6H A@==[ &]$] G@E6CD H2?E =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED E@ 92G6 E96 >@DE D2J @? H96E96C 52E2 46?E6CD 2C6 2AAC@G65]k^Am
kAm%96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 '@E6CD’ '@:46 !@== 7@F?5 E92E d_T @7 E9@D6 DFCG6J65 H2?E =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED E@ 92G6 E96 >@DE A@H6C[ a`T E9:?< :E D9@F=5 36 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?ED[ ``T E9:?< E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E D9@F=5 564:56 2?5 fT 36=:6G6 :E D9@F=5 36 E96 AC:G2E6 4@>A2?:6D 3F:=5:?8 E96 52E2 46?E6CD E92E 564:56] %H6=G6 A6C46?E H6C6 ?@E DFC6]k^Am
kAmx?56A6?56?E x==:?@:D &]$] $6?2E6 42?5:52E6 (9:E7:6=5 w2CC:?8E@?[ yC] D2:5 4@>>F?:E:6D D9@F=5 ?@E @A6? E96 7=@@582E6 ;FDE E@ 86E BF:4< 42D9 7C@> 56G6=@A6CD]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 D@>6 F?AC65:4E23=6 4@DED 2?5 67764ED E92E H6 92G6 J6E E@ 5:D4@G6C H92E E96J 2C6[ 2?5 H6 ?665 E@ 86E 2 36EE6C F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 :E 367@C6 H6 8@ 2== E96 H2J :? @? :E[” w2CC:?8E@? E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6]k^Am
kAmk6>my@? $EJ7 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^Am
