Elk Grove Village residents question future of data center expansion

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - Elk Grove Village’s mayor defended the community’s growing number of data centers, arguing they provide major tax benefits and minimal disruption while blaming social media misinformation for public concerns.

What we know:

Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson delivered a detailed presentation about the village’s history with data centers to convince residents they are not the enemy. He said the enemy is the false information spread on social media.

Elk Grove Village has 20 data centers and plans for 19 more. They’ve been in the town for 25 years with no controversy until recent years, as the public shares more about them.

Johnson says the village likes the money they generate, in property taxes, permit fees, and sales tax that the village uses to support schools, libraries and parks.

Elk Grove Village residents got $400 credits on their water bills and $400 in visa gift cards because data centers generated so much money in taxes.

Elk Grove Village has a 25-year history with data centers.

But residents came to Wednesday's meeting with questions.

One person asked whether it was fair to compare traditional data centers to AI centers that use more power. Another asked if incentives were offered to companies. And a new college graduate worried that the number of jobs generated by data centers won’t be enough to employ young people.

Mayor Craig Johnson told the crowd, "You live here cheaper than any surrounding town." 

He also said data centers don’t use the millions of gallons of water that the public thinks they use, and they do not generate truck traffic like logistics companies do. He said noise doesn’t seem to be a problem. 

The data centers are located in the village’s business park, which is the largest one in North America.