{"id":35044,"date":"2026-04-09T10:41:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:41:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?p=35044"},"modified":"2026-04-09T10:42:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:42:02","slug":"illinois-lawmakers-begin-days-of-deep-dives-on-data-centers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/35044-illinois-lawmakers-begin-days-of-deep-dives-on-data-centers\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois Lawmakers Begin Days of Deep Dives on Data Centers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pdfprnt-buttons pdfprnt-buttons-post pdfprnt-top-right\"><a href=\"javascript: window.print()\" class=\"pdfprnt-button pdfprnt-button-print\" target=\"_self\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-print\/images\/print.png\" alt=\"image_print\" title=\"Print Content\" \/><span class=\"pdfprnt-button-title pdfprnt-button-print-title\">Print<\/span><\/a><\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The House committee hearing was the first of several planned in the coming weeks<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Article Summary\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The House Executive Committee met Wednesday to hear from mayors, unions and agriculture representatives about how data centers impact communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The subject matter hearing was the first of three planned by the committee to bring stakeholders together to discuss data centers. The next two will focus on energy use and water. A Senate committee is also working on the issue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Representatives from local governments talked about economic benefits like property tax revenue but also called for more transparency and state controls for water use and noise control.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Labor groups warned against too-strict requirements and farm groups asked for considerations about land and water use.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By NIKOEL HYTREK <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span> <a href=\"mailto:nhytrek@capitolnewsillinois.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nhytrek@capitolnewsillinois.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SPRINGFIELD \u2014Illinois lawmakers are digging deep on data centers, with a House committee hearing from mayors, labor groups, and agriculture representatives about the facilities\u2019 local impacts in the first of three planned meetings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, the chair of the House Executive Committee, said she wanted to hear about the benefits and challenges of data centers as the General Assembly considers regulations like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/news\/power-act-lawmakers-seek-to-regulate-new-data-centers-power-water-usage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the POWER Act.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhatever we do here, we have to put people first,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to put communities first. Data\u2019s important, business is important, revenues are important, but people must come first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water use, energy use, noise and how community benefit agreements are constructed were the primary concerns lawmakers wanted to address on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, the speakers acknowledged data centers are part of a growing economy and are needed to support technology like AI, cloud computing and data storage used by various industries, from education to health care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some cautioned against regulation, saying it could dissuade companies from investing in Illinois while others aired different concerns they\u2019ve encountered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Illinois Senate committee has two data center-related hearings scheduled for later this week as well. Environmental advocates on Wednesday also lobbied in the Capitol for data center regulation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Local government perspective<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mayors from Aurora and DeKalb offered competing views of the benefits and tradeoffs data centers bring. DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes praised the Meta data center that started construction in 2020 and was finished in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen Meta first came to our community, they specifically said they want to make a significant impact in everything they do where they have a physical presence, and that&#8217;s just what they did,\u201d Barnes said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meta, he said, has invested heavily in DeKalb by contributing to the nonprofit community and paying tens of millions of dollars in property and utility taxes, helping to fund schools and local police. It has also partnered with Northern Illinois University to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/engagement.news.niu.edu\/2024\/01\/17\/niu-and-meta-announce-new-high-school-stem-education-partnership\/#gsc.tab=0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bring STEM classes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to area high schools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.journalstandard.com\/story\/news\/local\/2026\/04\/06\/rockford-data-center-could-generate-millions-in-property-taxes\/89404115007\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rockford Register Star<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Meta facility\u2019s 2024 tax bill was $32.1 million, or 11% of the total $287.3 million in taxes generated in all of DeKalb County.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barnes said DeKalb didn\u2019t require Meta to meet any standards or requirements before construction began, and he said he worries that requirements might drive further development away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI would encourage you, let&#8217;s always think about how can we foster more economic development rather than inhibiting it with regulation and rules and requirements. And if we do that, then we do it for every industry in the state of Illinois,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aurora Mayor John Laesch, on the other hand, said residents have raised concerns about noise from data centers and the impact on the power grid.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cResidents living near data centers have described a constant low frequency hum day and night,\u201d he said. \u201cIt&#8217;s not loud in a traditional sense, but persistent. People have described trouble sleeping, increased stress, loss of quiet in their own homes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aurora currently has five data centers in operation and five more under construction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In March, Aurora <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aurora.il.us\/News-articles\/City-Council-Approves-Regulations-on-Data-Centers\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">enacted ordinances<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that would require data center developers to conduct and submit studies dealing with noise, water consumption and energy needs. The ordinances also require future data centers to meet standards for noise, vibrations, water use and energy use. They will also need to get power from renewable energy sources.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laesch said while the city has tried to address the issues locally, he urged the state to take broader action.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWater and energy in particular, need to be addressed regionally or at the state level,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those requirements mimic provisions in the POWER Act, a major data center regulation bill now under consideration in both chambers of the General Assembly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sangamon County on Tuesday approved the zoning proposal for a CyrusOne data center project, and Marc Ayers, a former member of the Sangamon County Board who <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.illinoistimes.com\/news\/marc-ayers-to-resign-from-county-board\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">resigned after Tuesday\u2019s vote<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, said residents also aired worries about noise and water at those meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayers, who voted against the proposal, said he was happy to see the $500 million investment in Sangamon County, but he wanted to have more discussions before approving the project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said he also wanted more information from companies about their hiring practices for construction and for long-term operations. And he wanted transparency about a community benefit agreement between the data center and a local development group, especially considering the company also owns the data centers in Aurora.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cRather than fixing the noise in Aurora, they&#8217;re expanding with a bigger project in Sangamon County,\u201d he said. \u201cSo this aspect of being a good neighbor, we&#8217;re torn with that because they&#8217;re not really being a good neighbor right now in Aurora.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Labor perspective<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Representatives from labor were generally opposed to regulations. They said too many rules would risk companies choosing to do business elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe fact of the matter is data centers are going to be built. They are being built. The question is whether Illinois is ready to build them here,\u201d said Marc Poulos the executive director of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting and a member of Local 150.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poulos said there\u2019s high demand for labor to work on these long-term construction projects in surrounding states, including hundreds of his own members. Without \u201csmart standards,\u201d he said, Illinois could lose out on that investment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe Duffy with Climate Jobs Illinois, said finding a line between economic development and environmental protections should be the priority, but pausing perks like the data center tax credits \u2014 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/gov-jb-pritzker-suspending-tax-incentives-data-centers-illinois-rcna259297\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 is the wrong approach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe believe Illinois can maintain its lead in this race with the right balance of incentives, labor standards, local protections and infrastructure planning,\u201d Duffy said. \u201cWe can attract investment while ensuring communities benefit workers are treated fairly, and our energy and water resources are responsibly managed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Land use<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farmers are most concerned about how data centers use land and water, said Bill Bodine of the Illinois Farm Bureau.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said farmers support \u201cbring your own energy\u201d proposals but want reassurance that new renewable energy sources aren\u2019t developed on land that could be used for farming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThose proposals should prioritize projects that place renewable energy on, say, center rooftops, parking areas, land already impacted by data center development,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also called for water use reports and water withdrawal plans that are reviewed by the Illinois State Water Survey as well as efficiency standards for energy and water use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bodine said farmers are also concerned about data centers being abandoned if their technology becomes obsolete, or they reach the end of their lifespan. He asked for a decommissioning plan or process so the facilities could be removed easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe don&#8217;t want it to turn into a dangerous situation or an eyesore,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capitol News Illinois<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The House committee hearing was the first of several planned in the coming weeks Article Summary\u00a0 The House Executive Committee met Wednesday to hear from mayors, unions and agriculture representatives [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":35045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Illinois Lawmakers Begin Days of Deep Dives on Data Centers - Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/35044-illinois-lawmakers-begin-days-of-deep-dives-on-data-centers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Illinois Lawmakers Begin Days of Deep Dives on Data Centers - 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