Taylorville, IL (WAND) – Many people in Christian County are breathing a sigh of relief after the county board approved a year-long restriction on data centers and carbon sequestration.

“Thank you for looking at a resolution that will slow things down and allow the time to put in regulations that will protect the town,” said one resident.

Some people feel carbon capture is not a reliable process after learning about a CO2 leak at ADM in Decatur.

“The theory is that it will be contained under a hard rock, but the APM project indicator has proved to us quite well that it doesn’t necessarily stay where you put it,” said a second resident.

For months, data center developer Eagle Rock expressed interest in bringing a 1,000-megawatt data center to Christian County. However, the company recently backed out of the plans.

“I was not going to get in a hurry with this project, even if it was still here. The energy necessary to power that facility became unavailable and that, you know, to that point that you know, that pretty well pulls the plug on a project like that,” said County Board Chairman Bryan Sharp.

Now, county officials said these temporary restrictions will give them time to develop and finalize county ordinances.

“We’re not used to dealing with issues this big or impactful on the communities. And getting in a hurry with this is not a good idea,” Sharp said.

Ultimately, most constituents were pleased and felt their voices were heard.

“I’m also pleased that they have shown interest in allowing a group of us to work with them and with the zoning board on developing ordinances that we feel will really protect our constituents, our neighbors and our friends,” said resident Debbie Webber.

The board said these restrictions may not stop developers from coming to Christian County, but they will give officials time to create policies that protect the community.