Reporting by Siri Chilukuri for Chicago Reader:
Environmental advocates are concerned that data centers could increase energy demand to such a degree that it could keep fossil fuel production in operation for longer or even bring more fossil fuels online.
“There are a number of folks who are really concerned that the influx of data centers will make it harder for us to achieve the clean energy goals we set in [Illinois’s 2021 climate bill] because of how much electricity they require and also how much demand they put on our grid,” said Hannah Flath, director of communications at Illinois Environmental Council. “We’d like to see them be held accountable to the goals that our state has set, and they certainly have enough money to do so.”
Concerns around electricity, water, and energy are also not happening in a vacuum. The ongoing war in Iran, tariffs, gutting of government welfare programs, and high prices at grocery stores are all squeezing the pockets of everyday working people in Illinois. For Moskowitz, that matters just as much as the more technical parts of data center operations.
“Affordability is key to all of this and I think that’s a lot of why the data center issue is getting so much attention,” she said. “We’re seeing utility prices going up, and we’re hearing about these large facilities that require so much power, and it’s obviously a concern if these huge facilities, many of whom are being built by literally the richest corporations on earth, are leading to higher bills for everyday folks who are suffering as a result.”