The Sangamon County Board tabled a vote on Monday to approve the construction of a 600-Megawatt data center in the southwest part of the county.
Texas-based data center company CyrusOne has stated the construction project will provide roughly 500 jobs over the next 4-5 years.
Construction union members spoke on Monday night about the urgent need for large development work within their locals.
The operator of Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative, the electrical grid that would serve the data center, said Sangamon County is ready for high tech industrial growth.
The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance was among the organizations promoting the economic benefits of the center.
During the three hours of debate, members of the public urged the County Board to delay the vote until further guidance can be developed at the state level.
Opponents also warned of excessive noise and chemical pollution irreversibly damaging the local land.
Critics speculated CyrusOne is attempting to rush approval ahead of future state legislation for more stringent requirements of data center projects.
Governor Pritzker is currently attempting to eliminate 2019 tax incentives in order to slow the rush of developments which are blamed for dramatic increases in utility bills and declining grid reliability in other regions.
