Special to the Trenton Telegraph

Eight weeks after Trenton and Grundy County leaders met to talk about data centers, no developer has come calling, and the city still has no rules on the books for one, Trenton Mayor Jackie Soptic said.

Soptic said the city will seek public input through an upcoming strategic plan, and that if a data center does surface, the two governments – the city and county – would vet it together.

“Since the meeting, the city of Trenton has not been approached by a data center developer. The city has not adopted any policies or regulations,” Soptic said.

The mayor said the purpose of the initial August meeting on data centers was to inform the public that neither the city nor the county had been approached by a data center and to explain how the two government arms differ.

“Because of the differences in city and county government structures, it is difficult to be on the same page,” Soptic said as the county has no zoning in place. “The city can regulate, and at this time, the county cannot, making it difficult to coordinate mutual development goals.”

Power for a site outside city limits would come from the rural cooperative, not the city.

“The city owns its utilities and the county does not. They are served by Grundy Electric, who would have to serve a data center if one located in the county and met all specifications,” Soptic said.

Scott Wilson, general manager of Grundy Electric Cooperative, said at the meeting that the co-op’s four substations in the county lack the capacity for a large project. He also said the cooperative could not supply a 50-megawatt facility.

Soptic did not address whether Trenton’s own electric production plant and water system could meet a data center’s needs.

“The city of Trenton will be engaging in a strategic planning initiative, which will identify goals and objectives for the next three to five years,” the mayor said. “The public, including the county, will have an opportunity to participate via survey and/or in person participation.”

Soptic said she believes the city and county “are united in the belief that should a data center present itself, the city and county would work closely to vet the project, keeping the best interests of the citizens forefront in any decision making.”