Madison County Board Chairman Explores Possibility of Data Centers in Madison County

MADISON COUNTY - As local communities consider data center projects, Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser answers a few questions about what a data center could mean for the community.

Troy and Granite City have both made headlines as city officials weigh the pros and cons of data centers. On Dec. 10, 2025, Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson and Troy City Manager Jay Keeven joined Slusser on a tour of a Nebraskan Google hyperscale data center.

Slusser is supportive of the current data center projects being considered. He added that he originally approached data centers with skepticism, but he feels much more confident after the December tour.

“I want great things for Madison County, and that includes good paying jobs, safe communities and good schools,” Slusser said. “I would never promote a development that I haven’t fully vetted and researched, and I would never promote something that could have a negative impact on our communities.”

Before the tour, Slusser was specifically concerned about noise, water use and electricity use. He feels like he has a better understanding of these issues now that he has logged “literally hundreds of hours” with the county’s economic development team researching data centers. He has also spoken directly with a data center developer.

Noise was not an issue at the Google hyperscale data center that Slusser toured.
Additionally, he believes that hyperscalers like Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft are “very socially responsible and committed to aggressively minimizing their impact on resources” through equipment like closed-loop cooling systems, which recycle water.

Slusser pointed to the benefits of building a data center in Madison County. He anticipates that community members will experience “thousands” of construction jobs and jobs related to the data centers, as well as “tens of millions of dollars in local property tax revenues.”

“These companies are also heavily invested in their communities, donating large sums of money to numerous local charities and causes,” Slusser added. “Also, I’m encouraging the taxing districts to use a large portion of the new tax revenues to dramatically lower property taxes.”

Slusser clarified that, because the proposed data center projects are not in unincorporated areas of Madison County, the County Board will not make a decision on these projects. Communities like Troy and Granite City will ultimately determine if data centers will be built within their city limits.

Several community members have spoken out against the proposed projects. A local Change.org petition with nearly 600 signatures urges community members to oppose the development of data centers in Madison County.

Slusser said he appreciates the public’s concerns, but he encourages people to keep an open mind as city officials learn more about these data centers. He suggests asking any questions you have, just as he has done.

“I understand the citizens’ concerns, and there is always a fear of the unknown,” he said. “I would ask that people attend meetings and get their questions answered, and have an open mind. There are two things that President Trump and Governor Pritzker agree on: We need to build more data centers, and we need to build more nuclear power plants.”

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