Will County, IL

Joliet Technology Center

PowerHouse Data Centers (filed as Hillwood). Approved. 1800 MW.

Hillwood and PowerHouse Data Centers won an 8 to 1 Joliet City Council vote on March 20, 2026 to annex 795 acres near Rowell and Bernhard roads for a 20 billion dollar, four sub-campus data center park with up to 1.8 gigawatts of capacity. Construction is planned to begin in early 2027, and Joliet Residents For Responsible Growth filed a lawsuit in May 2026 challenging the rezoning as unconstitutional.

Status: Approved
Operator: PowerHouse Data Centers
Applicant on record: Hillwood
Location: Joliet, Will County, IL
Size: 1800 MW, 795 acres, 6,900,000 sq ft
Cooling: Not reported
Utility: ComEd
Last updated: August 29, 2026

Sources

Joliet OKs controversial 795-acre data center, Shaw Local, 2026-03-20
Lawsuit challenges zoning, approval process for Joliet data center, Shaw Local, 2026-05-26

What it would mean nearby

The cooling design has not been reported. If it uses evaporative cooling, a 1800 MW facility would draw roughly 5.7 million to 20.5 million gallons of water a day, about what 65,600 households use.

This case does not change what a household pays today, but it is the main tool Illinois regulators are using to try to stop the cost of new grid equipment for data centers from landing on residential bills. ComEd annual reconciliation rate case (docket 25-0383) adds about $3.10 a month to a typical bill from January 2026. PJM capacity auction price spike hits ComEd supply charges adds about $10.50 a month to a typical bill from June 2025.

For a noise estimate and the three distance rings, check your own address.