Illinois People's Action

09/01/2026

09/01/2026

Breaking: Protest outside pro-data center event in Decatur IL. They have a slide show, we have the people.

08/31/2026

Tonight, data center hearing Decatur Civic Center 4pm protest, 5pm hearing - wear RED

08/29/2026

FACT: FACEBOOK/SOCIAL MEDIA, AMAZON (and your electronic gadgets) USE DIFFERENT DATA CENTERS AND SYSTEMS THAN HYPERSCALE DATA SYSTEMS WE’RE FIGHTING.

It’s apples and oranges.

Hyperscale data centers use different computer chips and infrastructure than what we use for social media, Amazon and the “cloud”. These new data centers are based on GPU’s (not CPU’s) and what’s called “AI accelerators” which need more power, more cooling, and different facilities that existing centers aren’t built for and can’t simply expand to do.

Hyperscale data centers are for new AI use, not your existing e-commerce or Facebook news feed. The current market investment of $600 billion is for new construction, cooling and power, not simple physical expansion of what’s already in Illinois. It won’t replace existing sites, but in addition to.

08/28/2026

Over 100 citizens "Red Card" pro data center industry rep at Bloomington-Normal govt forum. No public speakers allowed, no opportunity to say "NO". People are experts in their own lives. .org

08/28/2026

BREAKING: Pro-data center report issued by Decatur/Macon County closed door committee (CVAC). LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! Plan to attend hearing Monday, 8/31 Decatur Civic Center, 5pm.

08/27/2026

"Before the meeting, Illinois People’s Action had protested the lack of opportunity for live public questions, issuing a press release that said they’d presented more than 400 signatures asking officials to reconsider."

A panel on both sides of the data center debate answered questions for three hours Wednesday night as at least a couple hundred people listened intently.

08/24/2026

Our petition requesting an open public comment period at this Wednesday's Data Center Forum is only 7 signatures short of our goal of 300! If you haven't yet, please consider signing and sharing.

bit.ly/ipapetition

On August 26, 2026, at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, Bloomington and Normal will hold a joint forum on hyperscale data centers. It should be the community's chance to be heard. Right now, it may not be. When the event was first announced, it was to be a Planning Commission meeting....

08/21/2026

🚨 Who gets a say in Macon County’s future?

A new Herald & Review article highlights a major concern we’ve been raising about the Citizen Volunteer Action Committee (CVAC) and the process being used to evaluate data center development in our community.
https://herald-review.com/news/local/government-politics/article_a1866237-a3b7-44a9-a420-f8a9c6c4dbe4.html

CVAC was created to help determine whether Macon County is “ready” to host a data center. But despite making findings that could influence decisions by our elected officials, the committee and county officials say CVAC is not a public body and therefore does not have to follow the transparency requirements of the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Illinois People’s Action disagrees.

If a committee is meeting to discuss an issue that could have enormous impacts on our water, electricity, infrastructure, land, and quality of life the people who will be affected deserve to know when those conversations are happening and have an opportunity to participate.

As long time IPA leader and resident of Macon County Rosenberger said in the article:

“These meetings need to be open to the public because the public is going to be affected by whatever happens.”

And that’s exactly the point.

This isn’t about being “closed for business.” It’s about making sure the people of Macon County aren’t shut out of decisions about our future.

We deserve a transparent, representative process not a handpicked committee meeting behind closed doors and then presenting its conclusions to our elected officials after the fact.

📢 Let people speak. Let the public participate. Let communities decide.

Read the Herald & Review’s coverage linked above and stay engaged as CVAC prepares to present to the Decatur City Council and Macon County Board on August 31.

08/14/2026

On August 26th the cities of Bloomington and Normal will be holding a public forum on Data Centers. Right now it looks like there are no plans to have an open public comment period at this forum, instead the cities will be taking comments and questions ahead of time and then responding to those they choose during the forum. That's not a public forum, it's a lecture.

That's why we are circulating a petition asking that the public be allowed to ask questions at this forum, in person and on the record. We need our in the BloNo area to sign this petition, and for everyone to share it widely!

On August 26, 2026, at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, Bloomington and Normal will hold a joint forum on hyperscale data centers. It should be the community's chance to be heard. Right now, it may not be. When the event was first announced, it was to be a Planning Commission meeting....