Logan County native urges oversight of proposed $5B IL data center

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Logan County residents are opposing a proposed 250-acre data center in Illinois, raising concerns about farmland loss, infrastructure strain and big tech’s impact on the rural community.

The effort, led by Mount Pulaski native and IT professional Kelly Cubberly, has gathered nearly 1,000 signatures. Cubberly, an Army veteran with nearly 16 years in IT, said she started the petition to give the public more information about the project, which is proposed by Canadian company Hut8 and backed by major investors including Meta and BlackRock.

“This type of data center is unheard of in Logan County,” Cubberly said. “They’re talking about a 500-megawatt facility, enough power for up to a million homes, in a county with just over 11,000 homes.”

While proponents argue the project could bring jobs and tax revenue, Cubberly and other residents are concerned about the impact on local farmland, the environment, and aging infrastructure, including the Mount Pulaski water treatment system. Cubberly proposed that 1% of the project’s value be earmarked for local public goods, such as water and parks improvements, to benefit the community directly.

“I want to see who the contractors are, the build of materials, and how local people will be involved,” she said. Cubberly pointed to previous tech data center projects, including those by Meta and Elon Musk, that she said disrupted communities and bypassed local input.

“I’ve seen the impacts … when Elon Musk built the xAI data center in Memphis. They went into a very poor, predominantly Black neighborhood without state or city approval, which disrupted the area,” said Cubberly. “They didn’t even have enough power and had to bring in generators from Starbase in Texas, creating fumes that upset the community. Then Mark Zuckerberg built one in Gallatin, just north of Nashville.”

On the question of whether state leaders should step in, Cubberly said she prefers keeping control local.

“I would much rather see Logan County write its own contingencies for this 250-acre project than have the state push something through,” she said. “Local leaders understand the community’s needs and the impact on farmland and infrastructure far better than anyone at the state level.”

The project, estimated at $5 billion, remains in the proposal stage, according to Cubberly.

Cubberly acknowledged that there are potential benefits but stressed that local residents must see tangible results.

“One of the county board members mentioned working with Hut8 for job training through Heartland Community College,” she said. “That’s a positive step, but the broader planning details still need to be transparent, and local input is essential.”

Cubberly also criticized the lack of detailed planning information from the company.

“From what I’ve seen, Hut8 provided only a three-page PDF on a $5 billion project,” she said. “A project this size normally involves hundreds of pages of build materials, contractor details and infrastructure planning. I want to see the full plan and know how local people will be involved.”

Cubberley said before a facility like this could even operate safely, significant investments would be needed.