Decatur undertaking study of water sources with an eye on economic development
Decatur’s main source of water is Lake Decatur, but residents rely on the Mahomet Aquifer during droughts.
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Conservationists sound the alarm on Trump’s Endangered Species Act changes
The Trump administration is narrowing longstanding interpretations of what it means to harm plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. Conservation experts say the change will pose greater challenges for already-vulnerable populations, and several groups have sued the administration.
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign hosts first of its kind summit on a perennial grass
Miscanthus is a perennial grass plant that can be used for energy and building materials. Researchers hope it will be widely adapted by farmers and the bioenergy and bioproduct sectors.
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Data centers will cost ComEd $3 billion but consumer groups worry Illinois households will be on the hook
The projected costs were revealed in expert testimony filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission, and it also showed the utility has only collected about $721 million in deposits from data center developers.
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Hunting and foraging classes gain popularity, as more people want to connect with nature
People have harvested wild foods for millennia, but learning how to do it today is harder, because fewer people have those skills. These groups are teaching people to eat “field to fork” again.
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Data center development is paused in Champaign County. That’s not curbing interest from developers though
Data Center developers are looking for land to build the often-sprawling buildings that hold servers and require large amounts of electricity and water. That’s happening while the county has a one-year moratorium on new data center development.
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Rural areas reap economic benefits from wind and solar projects, new Midwest study finds
Across the central U.S., more communities are passing ordinances to regulate renewable infrastructure development. A University of Missouri study examines the economic impact of renewable energy in rural areas.
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Mahomet residents express frustration with village officials for signing data center NDA
Mahomet officials ended discussions with a data center developer last week, but residents are still frustrated by the process.
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Champaign County officials vote down Mahomet-led effort to ban leaf burning
Mahomet officials were asking the Champaign County Board to ban leaf burning within 1,000 feet of the village.
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This grain could be an answer to drought-prone fields – if more Americans eat it
More farmers are showing interest in sorghum, a drought-tolerant grain. The crop is poised to expand in the U.S. – especially if Americans start consuming it.
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Data center companies have approached Champaign County for projects in Sidney, Tolono
Both proposed sites fall outside of the villages’ boundaries and are under the jurisdiction of the county.
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Mahomet ends talks with data center developer after community backlash
Mahomet officials were in talks with Clean Cloud Energy about a potential data center in the village.
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Illinois passed the nation’s first climate migration law. The effort has languished since
Pritzker, the state’s top lawmakers and the heads of several state agencies were supposed to appoint members to the board no later than 90 days after the law went into effect. Until last week, only a single appointment had been made to the 17-seat task force.
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A ‘Monarch Highway’ in the central U.S. stalled. But states are still planting butterfly rest stops
A decade ago, a federal task force announced a plan to help monarch butterflies along their great migration. The six-state effort along Interstate 35 didn’t take off as expected, but some roadsides are blooming anyway.
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‘The people united will never be defeated’: Protesters voice concerns about data center impacts on environment
Protesters condemned the construction of future data centers, arguing they produce more harm than good.
