The Logan County Board approved a 12-month moratorium for large-scale data centers on Tuesday night.

LINCOLN, Ill. (WAND) - The Logan County Zoning and Economic Development Board approved a Data Center Ordinance on their agenda Monday night.

Board Chair Dale Nelson told WAND News the ordinance does two things. It creates a set of regulations that apply to any future data centers that would be approved after the 12-month moratorium that was approved last month expires and simplifies the process that data centers would have to use to get approval. Formal re-zoning would no longer be required. It would be a form/permit system instead.

The regulations in the ordinance would include restrictions on things like noise, water, and environmental concerns. It would also require an impact study prior to any project's approval.

The 5-person board voted 3 in favor, and the other 2 members were absent. 

Hut 8 said a moratorium could kill the deal completely. Some board members said without this deal, taxpayers could face a heavier financial burden.
 
"We're just going to have a party board is going to have to make hard decisions, and we're going to have to raise your taxes because we can't really do the same thing or the same amount of money," Board Member Gil Turner said. 
 
For many residents, that was a risk they were willing to take.
 
"I'd rather that my property taxes go up a little bit than my and go to my community and go to. And I know that my money is going to the place I live and I love. Then my electricity bill gets jacked and it goes to Ameren. I don't want Ameren to have more of my money," one resident said. 

Hut 8 has not confirmed if the data center proposal is officially off the table with the moratorium now in place. 

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