Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Countryside Elementary School, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, Transparency, Unions on August 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in AI, Capitol News Illinois, Data Center, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Politics, Property Taxes, Unions on August 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »
A data center owned by Amazon Web Services, front right, is under construction next to the Susquahanna nuclear power plan in Berwick, PA on Jan. 14, 2025. | AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey
By Jeff St. John and Canary Media | Capitol News Illinois
PJM Interconnection, the biggest grid operator in the U.S., has finally settled on a plan to prevent data centers from causing other customers’ utility bills to soar further in its 13-state territory.
That plan relies heavily on states themselves, and the utilities they regulate, to force data centers to secure their own power supplies — or face the possibility of getting their power cut off during grid emergencies.
Last week, PJM’s board of managers sent proposals along these lines to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which must grant the grid operator permission before it can implement the new plan for its system, which serves about 67 million people from Virginia to Illinois. The multipart plan is PJM’s attempt to quiet down months of mounting pressure from state governors and the Trump administration to contain skyrocketing costs while staying within its regulatory limits.
“Historically, PJM has been very nervous to step into what it considered — or what are legally — the states’ rights,” said Julia Hoos, who leads coverage of Eastern U.S. power markets for Aurora Energy Research. But with its new proposals, PJM is “making a definitive request to the states to accomplish what it needs.”
PJM forecasts that data centers and other “large loads” will add 30 gigawatts to 34 gigawatts of new demand by the early 2030s and as much as 70 GW by 2038. Building enough new energy resources to meet that demand would push enormous costs onto utility customers.
State lawmakers and environmental and consumer advocates have been demanding that PJM instead require that new data centers get cut off from the grid when electricity demand is especially high, unless those facilities can pay for and build the resources required to keep them online.
But states, not PJM, are in charge of deciding which customers can connect to the grids operated by state-regulated utilities. That constraint played a role in PJM backing off last year’s proposal to create a “non-capacity-backed load” program to force new large loads to submit to being cut off during grid emergencies. Data center industry groups and other stakeholders warned that the plan could face legal challenges.
PJM’s new proposal, dubbed the Interim Resource Adequacy Service, or IRAS, largely re-creates that structure, only with states and utilities as the primary responsible parties, said Tom Rutigliano, senior advocate for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. In that sense, “it’s almost like they got to not too far off from where they started,” he said.
Article continues here.
Posted in AI, Data Center, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, News Media, Real Estate on August 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »
By Gloria Casas | The Courier-News/Chicago Tribune/Daily Herald
A proposed agreement under which 74 acres of property would be annexed into East Dundee includes a provision that would allow a data center to be among its future development options.
Plote Properties has no immediate plans to build on the site, located west of Beverly Road and south of Route 72, officials said. The annexation agreement is “still in negotiations,” Village President Dan Pearson said.
The land is part of a larger 253-acre parcel owned by East Dundee-based Plote, a portion of which was annexed into the village in January 2025 and zoned for manufacturing so that Plote could continue its mining operations and have space for truck parking.
Under the proposed annexation agreement, the village would agree to create a tax increment financing (TIF) district for the area.
The agreement for the eastern portion of the land is similar to the one for the western portion approved in 2025 — with a few additional provisions, Assistant Village Attorney Stew Weiss said at a public hearing for the deal held as part of a recent village board meeting.
One provision would require the village to provide financial incentives for the development of the full 253 acres, Weiss said. A “qualifying development,” or any development of 100,000 square feet or larger, could receive a 25% reimbursement for TIF-eligible expenses, an electricity tax rebate of 25% and an electricity tax freeze for a 20-year term, according to the agreement under discussion.
The agreement will detail the scope and nature of the proposed development incentives, lay out how a “qualifying development” is defined, and establish development performance standards for future uses, including data centers.
The proposed M-1 zoning designation would allow for several permitted “future uses” and “would require no additional zoning relief” if Plote wants to use it for a data center, electrical substation, accessory use facility or high-voltage transmission line at a height of 300 feet. Data centers are allowed in M-1 districts.
Read more here.
Posted in Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Red, Clown Car, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, Countryside Elementary School, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lake, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Massbach Hounds, McHenry, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, Unions, Your Barrington Hills on August 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Consolidated Election to be held April 6, 2027
To The Residents of The Barrington Hills Park District Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois
Elections will be held to fill the following office: Park District Commissioner
Number of positions: Three (3)
All positions are for a four-year term
The candidate services provided here will assist prospective candidates locate the information and forms required to run for office.
Information contained within this section is for informational purposes only. Candidates are advised to seek appropriate legal counsel for any campaign issues.
Candidates must file their certificates of nomination with the Barrington Hills Park District designated representative.
Petition Circulation Period: August 25, 2026 – November 23, 2026. Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026
The filing of nomination petitions will be accepted at 361 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills IL 60010, in the Riding Center’s Meeting Room, November 16, 2026 through Monday November 23, 2026. Office Hours will be posted here and on the online calendar.
Petitions may be filed in person by the candidate, a representative, or by mail to: Barrington Hills Park District, 364 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010. Nomination papers received in the mail before the first day of filing period will be returned to the sender as not filed.
Petition Documents:
Nonpartisan Petition Form (Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026)
Statement of Candidacy: Nonpartisan
Loyalty Oath (optional):
Statement of Economic Interests: Filed with the Cook County Clerk. See page 22 in the Candidate’s Guide regarding filing the receipt.
Fair Campaign Practices Act (voluntary): Filed with the State Board of Elections.,
Posted in Land Use, Plan Commission, Public Hearing, Real Estate, Village Attorney, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration on August 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Plat of Subdivision – Lot Consolidation
Notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at a special meeting by the Plan Commission of the Village of Barrington Hills at the Barrington Hills Village Hall, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, IL, concerning an Application filed by the owner of 8 County Line and 0 Steeplechase Roads, Barrington Hills, IL, to request approval of a final plat of subdivision consolidating property commonly known as 8 County Line and 0 Steeplechase Roads in Barrington Hills, IL to create a single lot. Affected properties are identified by PIN 13-34-301-006 and 13-34-300-024.
A copy of the application and proposed plat for lot consolidation are available for examination in the office of the Village Clerk at the Village Hall, by appointment, during hours of operation. Any interested party will be given an opportunity to provide comment. Written comment on the application for lot consolidation, which will be provided to the members of the Plan Commission, will be accepted in the Office of the Village Clerk through 5:00 PM, August 17, 2026.
By: Village Clerk
Village of Barrington Hills
clerk@vbhil.gov
112 Algonquin Road
Barrington Hills, IL 60010
Posted in Chicago Tribune, Citizens for Conservation, Going green, Land Use, Privacy, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, Topics Of Interest on July 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Far right, leading a tour group is volunteer and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights on July 20, 2026 at the restored tallgrass Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington. | Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press
By Karie Angell Luc | For the Chicago Tribune
As environmentalists from around the world convened at the Aspen Ideas: Climate event in Chicago from July 20 to July 22, the conversation about conservation moved to Barrington Hills on July 20.
There, local and national conservationists toured the 44-acre Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington.
Describing Indian Hemp, a native white flowering plant to a tour group, is volunteer and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights on July 20, 2026 at the restored tallgrass Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington. | Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press
CFC is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that restores and maintains more than 732 acres across 14 separate nearby locations, according to https://citizensforconservation.org.
“CFC first started with response to a lot of land development that was happening in the seventies, so they came to be in 1971,” said Abigail Derby Lewis of Glenview, CFC executive director.
Grigsby Prairie is “the oldest prairie restoration that CFC has and one of the oldest in the State of Illinois,” Derby Lewis said. “It is incredible.
“Every plant you see, every animal you see, all of the habitat there, that is the result of people putting in the time and the energy and the love to that land over decades,” Derby Lewis said.
CFC volunteer Wendy Paulson of Barrington Hills said of Grigsby Prairie (a prairie which was lost), “That’s an example of hope.”
The walk of the tallgrass prairie included tour leader and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights, Dwayne Estes of Dickson, Tennessee, co-founder and executive director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) of Clarksville, Tennessee, and a professor at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.
SGI is building a movement,” according to https://www.segrasslands.org.
Right, leading a tour group is volunteer and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights on July 20, 2026 at the restored tallgrass Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington. | Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press
Also interpreting Grigsby Prairie on the tour were Derby Lewis, Paulson, plus author and renowned forest preserves site steward Stephen Packard of Northbrook.
Many experts identify prairie grasslands as the most threatened ecosystem in eastern North America, with scattered acres, islands and pockets around the United States unattended to and basically forgotten.
Article and photos continue here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Cell Towers, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions on July 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold a special meeting Monday at 6:30 PM. The sole topic on their agenda is:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here and the meeting will not be available via Zoom.
Related: “Special Closed Session Meeting of the Barrington Hills Park District Board Monday, June 22nd”
Posted in AI, Capitol News Illinois, Data Center, Land Use, Politics, Public Safety, Springfield on July 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »
A schematic drawing shows how a Hub 8 data center site near Latham in rural Logan County might look. The project, still seeking approval, has faced pushback. | Courtesy Hub 8 Corp
By Lauren Cross | Investigate Midwest
Data center construction is shifting toward rural America. At the same time, rural residents report greater concern than urban and suburban Americans about what those projects could mean for their electricity costs and farmland use.
That’s according to a survey released June 26 by researchers at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. The survey of about 1,000 U.S. adults, conducted in February, found rural residents expressed the highest average level of concern overall. Their greatest concern was rising electricity costs, followed by the use of agricultural land for data centers and overuse of water.
“Many unknowns remain about the full impacts associated with data center growth and expansion,” according to researchers.
By 2030, the energy requirements for data centers are projected to more than double in Illinois and triple in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, researchers added, citing the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
According to a separate April analysis of mapping data by the Pew Research Center, a major shift is underway. Nearly 90% of all existing data centers are in urban areas, but 67% of planned facilities are slated for rural communities and 39% are planned in counties without an existing data center.
Report continues here.
Posted in Clown Car, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Guest Essay, Immigration, Land Disconnection, Land Use, Lipstick On A Pig, Look For The Union Label, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Snowflake Effect, Taxes, The New Normal?, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, Village Code, Wirepoints on July 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »
By: Mark Glennon* | Wirepoints
Gov. JB Pritzker left no doubt about where he stands in the growing schism within the Democratic party about its surge toward the radical left. CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked him directly on June 30 if it’s good that Democratic primary voters recently chose Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates over more moderate Democratic incumbents.
Pritzker answered that as long as they are talking about affordability and oppose Trump, “those are the people who are winning” and embracing progressive/in Democratic Socialist candidates is “the recipe for winning in 2026 and beyond.” Here’s the clip:
Many key Democrats are revolting against the growing elements of socialism in their party. As the left-leaning Guardian put it:
Over the last few days, prominent party figures have moved away from unifying under a “blue no matter who” banner to push for a more formal break with their left flank, and said the moment may have arrived for Democrats to confront their more socialist wing.
No less than veteran Democratic political advisor James Carvill recently said “it’s time for Democrats to talk the S-word: schism,” He added that some DSA-aligned candidates “have no place in the Democratic party” and, of the broader coalition: “I’m not in that fucking political party.”
Other prominent Democrats speaking up against the party’s growing leftism include Jaime Harrison, the former chair of the Democratic national committee, former New York governor David Paterson and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. And the left-leaning Atlantic wrote that, while the DSA is “anything but Democratic,” its clever subversion of the Democratic Party will be difficult to stop.
In case you don’t already know – and you should – here’s some of what the DSA supports:
For the sake of the nation, we can only hope that, on this, America agrees with James Carville: “I’m not in that f-ing party.”
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Editorial note: Maria Peterson (pictured below with JB Pritzker) appears to have made a profession for years running for offices with the financial backing of JB Pritzker, among others. In 2022 she ran unsuccessfully for Illinois State Senate and in 2024 she lost her bid for Illinois House 52nd District Representative.
Maria Peterson and JB Pritzker | Courtesy Maria Peterson’s Facebook page
Currently she is feverishly campaigning again for 52nd District Representative, and there is absolutely no doubt if successful, she will back all of JB Pritzker’s initiatives and likely those of the Democratic Socialists of America. This includes Pritzker’s stalled “BUILD Initiative” which would strip property rights from residents and place all zoning controls in the hands of Springfield politicians and unions.
Please don’t consider this as our being negative, as some might. Instead, think of it for what it is – fact.
Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Data Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, News Media, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions on July 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Courtesy Construction Review
By Joel Mairura | Construction Review
The proposed 185-acre data center in Hoffman Estates by Karis Critical has been cancelled as the firm bows out. The firm has withdrawn its request to rezone land for the controversial data center project in Illinois. Its scope entailed being constructed at the edge of the village of Hoffman Estates’ municipal boundaries. Moreover, it would have bordered the nearby areas of South Barrington and Barrington Hills.
However, it raised serious questions about how the neighboring towns, which have no official say in decision making, are impacted by such projects (?). “After several weeks of conversations with the Village and residents, we’ve decided the right step is to withdraw the current rezoning request,” Karis Critical spokesman Patrick Skarr said.
“We heard the feedback clearly, including the call for a more specific plan before any rezoning. We’ll take the time to get that right. Should we bring a proposal forward in the future, the Village and the community will have the details they need to evaluate it fully and on its merits.” Residents have always been against the project as shown by a recent public hearing where they showed up in numbers. Despite bowing out, other data centers across the US are still advancing such as “Project Marvel” in Bessemer which QTS has been identified as its developer.
The proposed 185-acre data center in Hoffman Estates by Karis Critical has been cancelled as the firm bows out. | Courtesy Construction Review
Factors Leading to Opposition of Proposed Data Center in Hoffman Estates
One of the major factors that led to opposition of the proposed data center in Hoffman Estate was transparency concerns. When the Plan Commission held its meeting, discussion was limited to the issue of rezoning the site from traditional neighborhood and commercial mixed-use districts to a manufacturing district. Moreover, residents were told there were no specific site plans for a data center project.
Other residents had concerns about the impacts of a large-scale data center on traffic, noise and light pollution and air quality. Hoffman Estates has two other data centers under construction. However, they are in areas already zoned for manufacturing that residents said are more appropriate than the residential area near forest preserves.
“Nobody here is saying, ‘Don’t do a data center,’ everyone’s saying, ‘Don’t do it here,’” Barrington Hills resident Karen Trzaska said. A public records request seeking communication from village stuff about the project also revealed much. It noted that the project had been in discussion as early as 18 months ago, raising more concerns on the project’s transparency.
Article continues here.
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