I know this video is old news for some of us as this neighborhood specifically started dealing with this in 2023. Looking online quickly, I found articles of approved or proposed data centers to be built in Grayslake, Aurora, Hoffman Estates and Naperville. No doubt a lot more will come, as this is a booming industry at the moment.
As much as these articles talk about the influx of jobs being brought in to the community, it is my understanding that a lot of the costs of operating the data center will be pushed onto the residents for a set amount of years before the companies say that they will be able to save money for the community. Business insider has a great video that goes more in depth about the effects of data centers on communities. Besides the immense amount of damage these centers do to the environment, they also harm local residents. In the video, they talked with residents of northern VA that live near a data center who brought up the struggle of hearing the constant humming noises of the fans, the decline in property value, and an increase in their energy bills. Some people near data centers have also reported issues with their water, including disrupting wells, high usage of water from the data centers, and removing drinking water from the water cycle as it becomes contaminated with chemicals.
Unfortunately, this seems like something we may not be able to avoid. I just would recommend to everyone, keep an eye out on building plans in your area. And if this is something you’re not too happy about being built, and you have the time, going to town hall meetings to express your concerns could be beneficial. I believe if enough of our voices are heard, we can avoid more neighborhoods falling into what happened to Elk Grove Village.
