Monarch Energy Rockford data center
Monarch Energy is pursuing a 1,400 MW hyperscale campus on industrial land at Rockford's southern edge, with a signed state tax incentive deal but no formal city proposal. Also known as: Monarch Rock Air.
Who is behind it
The record, newest first
Rockford approved a six-month data center moratorium, 14-0, which does not cover Monarch's land. (Rock River Current, Aug. 3, 2026)
DCEO signed the incentive MOU with Monarch Rock Air, weeks before the state stopped processing new program agreements on July 1. (Rock River Current, June 26, 2026)
City officials said no site plan or development agreement had been filed; the land, zoned I-2 since its 2008 annexation, allows data centers as a permitted use. (Rock River Current, March 6, 2026)
Monarch was reported to have turned a planned landfill-linked aviation fuel project near the airport into a data center plan of up to $12 billion. (Rock River Current, March 1, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
- About 1,300 acres lie in the surrounding area; the campus acreage itself was not reported.
- End user not named.
- Coordinates approximate, south of the airport near Edson and Friday roads.
The full record
- Status note
- No site plan or formal proposal filed with the city; a state incentive MOU is signed, and the land is exempt from Rockford's moratorium under an existing annexation agreement.
- Power note
- 1,400 MW multibuilding campus with associated power generation, as described in the DCEO MOU obtained by Rock River Current (record not opened here).
- Evidence
- News reports; primary records not yet obtained
- Size class
- 50 MW or more (tracker scope)