Tazewell County IL data center petition freeze (2026)
Tazewell County, IL — Zoning Code Amendment and Board Direction Barring Data Center Petitions Pending an Ordinance (May 2026)
Tazewell County, IL · Tazewell County, Ill. — Board Zoning Amendment and Petition Direction (May 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Applies to
- Developers seeking to petition for data center projects in Tazewell County; the Tazewell County zoning department.
- Enforced by
- Tazewell County (IL) Zoning Department / County Board
In May 2026 the Tazewell County Board took two linked actions instead of adopting a formal moratorium. It amended the county zoning code to prohibit land uses that are not explicitly allowed, and it directed the county zoning department not to accept petitions from developers for data center projects until the board finishes drafting a data center ordinance. Nearly all board members voted in favour. The practical effect is that data center proposals cannot advance, but because it is a resolution and a zoning-code amendment rather than a declared moratorium, residents have pressed the board for a formal moratorium that would give clearer assurance development cannot proceed while the ordinance is written. As of late August 2026 the draft ordinance still had several steps to go: review by the State's Attorney's Office, a public hearing before the county Zoning Board of Appeals, and a final County Board vote. The board had hoped to complete it within two to three months.
Who is protected: Tazewell County, Illinois residents and landowners, through an administrative bar on data center petitions plus a permissive-use zoning framework, in force until the county adopts a data center ordinance.
Legal detail
Tazewell County, Ill. County Board action of May 2026, reported May 7, 2026. Two components: (1) an amendment to the county zoning code adopting a permissive-use framework — land uses not explicitly allowed are prohibited; and (2) a board direction to the county zoning department to refuse acceptance of data center petitions until a data center ordinance is finalised. Adopted by near-unanimous board vote. Legally this is weaker than a declared moratorium: it is an administrative intake bar plus a use-table change, not a time-limited ordinance with a stated term, which is why local residents continued to seek a formal moratorium. Procedural posture as of August 20, 2026: draft ordinance pending State's Attorney review, then a Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing, then a County Board vote. No sunset date — the freeze runs until the ordinance is adopted. Resolution number not reported.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Tazewell County, IL |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Limited |
| Citation | Tazewell County, Ill. — Board Zoning Amendment and Petition Direction (May 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Data center petitions are not accepted for filing |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Tazewell County Board votes on land amendment, crafts data center ordinance — 25 News Now |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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