You might call a data center the high-tech version of one of those self-storage places, and a plan for a new one on long-vacant land is sparking debate in Naperville.
Neighbors lined up at Tuesday night's Naperville City Council meeting to raise concerns about the proposal from Karis Critical to build a 200,000-square-foot data center on the old Lucent property at Naperville and Warrenville Roads.
Demand for data centers has exploded as people and businesses rely more on "the cloud" for storage of everything from documents and pictures to AI material.
Executives at Karis have posted videos promising that the proposed center "will use best-in-class equipment to operate responsibly" and is designed for "efficiency, and environmental stewardship."
Naperville's planning and zoning commission has already approved the plans, but commenters at last night's City Council meeting raised concerns about the equipment needed to maintain service in case of a power outage.
"Its fleet of 24 massive diesel generators creates a foreseeable health risk," said oncologist Dr. Sujay Shah.
Others expressed concerns about higher energy prices and raised questions about claims of economic growth spurred by the center.
"When industrial data centers are placed near homes, communities suffer," said one commenter.
There's no word on when council members might consider the Karis plan.