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Mt. Pulaski hosts data center
information session
[April 09, 2026]
On Tuesday evening, Logan
County residents gathered at the American Legion in Mt. Pulaski to
learn more about the proposed data center and the potential
implications on the Logan County community.
Mt. Pulaski Mayor Matt Bobell
welcomed citizens. Elected officials from Mt. Pulaski, Latham,
Laenna Township, and Lincoln introduced themselves. Mayor Bobell
clarified that the forum was independent of Hut 8 and for
information only, then turned the presentation over to Kelly
Cubberly.
Building on Mayor Bobell's introduction, Cubberly shared her
background and connection to Mt. Pulaski, where she has close family
ties. She outlined her career, which includes military service, work
in technology, and her current role in Nashville, TN, focusing on
tech sales and data management for small and medium-sized
businesses.
She explained there are three types
of data centers: traditional centers (in hospitals, for internal
IT), stand-alone centers (single business, separate building), and
hyper-scale centers (very large, support AI operations such as
powering ChatGPT).
The proposed Hut 8 data center in
Latham would be a hyper-scale center, spanning about 200-250 acres
near the substation. Cubberly presented a slide with the layout and
calculations for the nearly one-million-square-foot facility—12 data
halls, each with 1,924 racks. She demonstrated what the interior
would look like using photos and videos from a visit to Dell’s data
center in Tennessee and showcased two server examples on side tables
for the audience.
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She provided a brief overview of
Hut 8 and explained space distribution options: single-tenant leases
or multi-tenant, phased lease-ups. The latter, she noted, can delay
revenue if spaces are slow to fill.
After explaining the data center's
purpose and layout, Cubberly highlighted two main risks: potential
financial strain on the township and loss of prime farmland. She
urged citizens to push for a 2% impact fee, an upfront payment that
would fund necessary water system and fire department updates. She
also warned that data centers elsewhere are reducing productive farm
acres nationwide.
After Cubberly finished her presentation, Mayor Bobell invited
questions from the crowd. Most questions focused on the data
center's power use or possible increases to citizens' power bills.
Mayor Bobell clarified that this was an informative session and that
he and Cubberly were neutral on the proposed facility. Still,
citizen responses showed clear skepticism and unfavorability. Many
emphasized preserving farmland, while others cited increased energy
costs, concerns about receiving fair tax revenue, unreliable
information on job creation, and chemicals used in cooling systems.
Many citizens encouraged others to
reach out to their elected officials at all levels to voice their
opinions. They also encouraged attendance at Logan County Board
meetings. There was a petition for citizens to sign opposing the
data center. Free yard signs reading "No data centers" were
available. Some were wearing t-shirts with the same slogan. After
those with comments and questions finished, Mayor Bobell thanked
Cubberly. He again stressed that this was solely for informational
purposes and directed any questions or concerns about the Hut 8
proposal to the Logan County Board. The Facebook page Sustain Logan
County Communities was also mentioned as a resource for Logan County
residents.
[Joli Boerma]
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