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Sugar Grove trustees debate data-center zoning and 2024 IECC Appendix CC requirements
Summary
Trustees continued an extended policy discussion about how to regulate data centers, considering Aurora model language and adopting IECC Appendix CC (renewables/zero-net energy) for large commercial buildings. Staff recommended special-use treatment, development agreements, distance buffers, limits on roof-mounted chillers/generators, reporting requirements and energy-offset standards for facilities over 200,000 sq ft.
Village staff and trustees spent a substantial portion of the July 7 meeting discussing proposed zoning and building-code approaches for data centers and large energy users.
Staff presented a package of recommendations drawn from Aurora’s data-center ordinance and the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) Appendix CC. Key proposals included eliminating a standalone “data center” zoning district and instead treating data centers as a special use in M-1 and I-1 districts, requiring development agreements, establishing minimum lot-line distances (board discussion favored 1,500 feet as a directional starting point), prohibiting roof-mounted chillers and generators, limiting generator testing hours, requiring vibration/noise monitoring, and mandating annual third-party reporting on water and energy use.
On energy, staff described Appendix CC’s compliance pathway: (1) optimize baseline efficiency, (2) maximize on-site renewable generation, (3) procure qualifying off-site renewable energy if on-site generation is insufficient, and (4) demonstrate long-term RECs and contractual commitments. Staff recommended adopting Appendix CC only for very large buildings (a staff proposal used 200,000 sq ft as a threshold) and possibly limiting the requirement to data centers only. One trustee said the village should be cautious about imposing stringent energy requirements that could make the community less competitive for commercial investment; others argued that data centers’ large-energy footprints justify stricter local standards and that development agreements could enforce terms not available through zoning alone.
Trustees asked staff to draft a text amendment for the zoning ordinance (special-use language, development-agreement frameworks and distance requirements) and to coordinate with the village attorney on any limits created by non-home-rule status. Staff also agreed to circulate the full PowerPoint and to follow up with examples of other municipalities that have adopted Appendix CC or similar energy requirements.
What’s next: staff will prepare a draft text amendment for review and legal analysis and return it to the board for further direction; the IECC-Appendix-CC adoption process will be coordinated with the village attorney and brought back in a subsequent meeting.
