Western Hospitality Partners cancels Tazewell County data center after local opposition
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Apr 28
Western Hospitality Partners cancels Tazewell County data center after local opposition
4 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Apr 28
The project, planned near Michael Deppert's Illinois farm, was abandoned amid fears it would deplete the local aquifer and threaten drinking water.
Residents organized petitions and packed city council meetings, successfully pressuring Western Hospitality Partners to withdraw after several months of protest.
This case highlights growing rural resistance to data center expansion, with 67% of planned centers now targeting rural areas and public opinion increasingly concerned about environmental and community impacts.
As data centers drain rural resources, what legal tools can communities use to fight back?
Who truly profits when a data center comes to town: the community or tech corporations?
Is blocking data centers in rural America slowing our national progress in the global AI race?
Can the US grid handle the data center boom without raising everyone's electric bills?
Your electric bill is rising. Is the hidden cause the new data center down the road?
Can tech innovations make data centers truly green, or is that just wishful thinking?