Gov. Pritzker pauses data center subsidies

Reporting by FOX 32 Chicago:

The POWER Act, which would have regulated data centers in Illinois, failed to advance before the legislative deadline, leaving pending projects without new state guardrails. Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has paused data center tax incentives and is pushing for stricter standards on energy use, water consumption and community impact. Joining us to discuss the implications is Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council.

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Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Tuesday directing city departments to intensify scrutiny of new data centers in Chicago — a politically potent move that doesn’t unilaterally impose new limits on the fast-growing industry, but could slow its growth.
Every year, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) issues a voting scorecard that grades members of the Illinois General Assembly on how they voted for bills affecting the environment.
Richard Chew is joined by Dany Robles, senior legislative director at the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC); he talks about IEC's 2026 Legislative Environmental Scorecard.