Essex, in Kankakee County, Illinois, adopted a data-center zoning exclusion on November 1, 2025. Its status in this snapshot is in force.
The record reads: "Constellation Energy purchased over 600 acres near Essex, Illinois, and is seeking rezoning and annexation. Much of the land was sold by village board members or their relatives. The Essex Coalition launched a petition urging industrial… (datacentertracker.org)."
Details
| Action | Class | Status | Date | MW threshold | Scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning exclusion | restriction | in force | November 1, 2025 | not county-wide | datacentertracker.org |
Jurisdiction type: municipality. County: Kankakee County. Dataset: datacentertracker. Snapshot August 15, 2026; documented actions, not a census.
Illinois context
Illinois has 23 documented local actions across 21 jurisdictions in this snapshot. At the state level, the state has an incentive rollback (in force, June 5, 2026).
A town that says no to a data center gives up local tax revenue, not jobs: one large campus pays $2M to $90M a year depending on the tax regime, against roughly 50 permanent jobs. The parent piece prices it and lists the conditions that beat a ban.