Local resistance is stalling what could be one of the largest data centers in Illinois, a 795-acre Hillwood / Powerhouse project near Joliet.
Residents are pushing hard on health, environmental impact, and AI-driven job loss, showing how AI data centers are becoming a political flashpoint, especially with younger activists.
The timing is rough for operators: a new state “2025 Resource Adequacy Study” pegs data centers as the primary driver of Illinois load growth and warns of power shortfalls starting in 2031.
Electricity cost and reliability are now front and center in local permitting, even as developers promise that required grid upgrades won’t hit ComEd ratepayers.
For GPU and AI buildouts, this is another signal that power-constrained markets like greater Chicago will see more regulatory friction and longer timelines, not just higher land and energy costs.
Operators and hyperscalers should read this as a reminder that community engagement and credible power strategies are now core parts of AI infrastructure planning.
The article is worth a full read for the local detail on how power studies and public sentiment translate into practical risk for large-scale AI data center builds.
Source: Joliet residents rise up again against proposed data center – Shaw Local
