Rochelle stands at the doorstep of another wave of technology investment: data centers. Questions about water, energy and neighborhood impact are natural – but so are the opportunities. Just to our east, DeKalb’s experience shows what happens when these projects are planned with transparency and balance.

Meta’s DeKalb campus brought more than $1 billion in private investment, 1,200 construction jobs, and about 200 permanent positions. The city’s equalized assessed value rose by more than one-third in a single year, allowing both the city and park district to cut their tax rates by over 20% while maintaining services.

Those changes stabilized residents’ bills today and built a more substantial revenue base for tomorrow. For a community like Rochelle – with its own municipal utility and a long record of industrial stewardship – that’s a model worth studying.

Quiet neighbors. Rochelle already hosts data centers for Allstate, Northern Trust and Rochelle Municipal Utilities. They’ve operated quietly and responsibly for more than a decade. Back-up generators run only for brief tests or emergencies, and sound enclosures keep noise below residential levels.

Water and environment. Modern facilities focus on efficiency and reuse rather than continuous draw. Major operators have pledged to be water-positive by 2030 – restoring more water to local ecosystems than they consume through reclaimed water and watershed projects.

Preliminary figures discussed publicly place daily use in the tens of thousands of gallons – comparable to other industrial facilities already active in Rochelle’s business parks, such as food processors and distribution centers. Unlike those operations, many data centers can recycle cooling water or switch to air-cooled systems in cooler months.

Power and rates. Northern Illinois is served by ComEd as part of the PJM regional grid, which balances electricity supply and demand across 13 states. When demand rises anywhere in that system, capacity prices tend to increase for all utilities – including Rochelle’s. If we already share those regional cost trends, it makes sense to welcome balanced local projects that bring jobs, tax base, and infrastructure improvements in return.

The proposed load discussed for Rochelle – around 50 megawatts – sounds large, but it fits comfortably within the city’s available capacity. Rochelle Municipal Utilities already serves major manufacturers, rail operations, and cold-storage facilities whose combined demand is of similar scale. A data center would join that mix as another managed industrial customer, not an unprecedented burden.

Rochelle’s municipal generation gives it a unique advantage. By “peak-shaving” – running local units during the most expensive hours – RMU lowers costs for everyone on its system. RMU Superintendent Blake Toliver has explained that large special-contract customers procure their own energy, and the utility uses market hedging to shield residential rates. Its wholesale-power contract locks in rate stability through 2029, and any new facility would operate under terms that protect ratepayers, according to City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh.

Meanwhile, ComEd’s Kishwaukee Area Reliability Expansion (KARE) project is strengthening the shared backbone between Afton Township and the lines serving Rochelle – investments that improve reliability for homes, schools, and businesses alike.

Planning responsibly. Rochelle has decades of experience balancing industrial growth with community quality of life. The same principles apply here:

• Commission independent noise and water studies.
• Maintain scaled setbacks and visual buffers.
• Be transparent about who funds and maintains utility extensions.

As Fiegenschuh has said, the city won’t recruit a project that doesn’t benefit the community. That openness is precisely what builds trust.

Most reputable developers already meet or exceed these standards. The key is open communication, so residents understand both the real impacts and the real benefits.

As someone who works in Internet and data-center infrastructure right here in Northern Illinois, I have no financial interest in Rochelle’s proposals – only an interest in seeing our region thrive. DeKalb’s success proves that data centers can be quiet neighbors, strong taxpayers, and partners in sustainability. With clear planning and public understanding, Rochelle can do the same – turning cautious curiosity into confident, well-managed growth.

A longer version of this column, with full source citations and supporting documents, will be posted on my LinkedIn page.

Mike Hammett has worked in Internet and data-center infrastructure for more than 20 years and lives in DeKalb County. He has no financial interest in any current data center proposals.