LaSalle County committee reviews draft zoning rules for data centers, flags water, power and screening concerns

LaSalle County planning staff presented a draft zoning text amendment for data centers and committee members spent the bulk of the meeting asking for stricter, more specific requirements on water, backup power and screening.

The draft, which Brian said was assembled using Sangamon County language as an example, is intended to create a permitting path and special‑use standards for data centers in the county. "We did get, some inquiries into, possibly setting up a, developing a data center in LaSalle County," Brian said.

Committee members said the draft needs clearer, project‑specific obligations. Commissioners repeatedly asked for explicit requirements on backup generation and fuel type, battery energy storage systems (BESS), hydrological studies and limits on well usage.

"I think we do need to look at, you know, if they're just using generators to generate electricity for it or whether it's…