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POWER Act: Lawmakers seek to regulate new data centers’ power, water usage
“By expanding a loophole created during the first Trump administration, EPA would allow coal plants to delay closure for at least three more years and potentially much longer,” says Cate Caldwell of the Illinois Environmental Council.

Environmental groups push to reign in data centers
Jen Walling: We don’t really know how many data centers there are. We coula expect anywhere from 100 to 195, they can be small or really large, but it’s impacting everyone already. Consumers were seeing their rates increase already last summer and those rates are due to Big Tech.

Illinois Rewilding Law, first in US, a step toward state wetland protection
Lindsay Keeney, conservation director at the Illinois Environmental Council, explained that restoring native ecosystems helps Illinois weather more extreme and frequent flood events.

IEC Legislator Tours 2025
Empowering environmental champions in Illinois’ General Assembly requires building strong relationships with our legislators. These educational tours are a critical piece of that work.

WCPT 820 Interview: Jen Walling of Illinois Environmental Council
“It ended up being a really pretty good year for climate at the General Assembly. Both bills that had to do with climate, energy, and

Chicago Budget Analysis (FY26)
The FY2026 budget strengthened environmental permitting and inspection functions, returning those duties to the appropriate Department of Environment, a top budget priority for the environmental community.
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POWER Act: Lawmakers seek to regulate new data centers’ power, water usage
“By expanding a loophole created during the first Trump administration, EPA would allow coal plants to delay closure for at least three more years and potentially much longer,” says Cate Caldwell of the Illinois Environmental Council.

Environmental groups push to reign in data centers
Jen Walling: We don’t really know how many data centers there are. We coula expect anywhere from 100 to 195, they can be small or really large, but it’s impacting everyone already. Consumers were seeing their rates increase already last summer and those rates are due to Big Tech.

Illinois Rewilding Law, first in US, a step toward state wetland protection
Lindsay Keeney, conservation director at the Illinois Environmental Council, explained that restoring native ecosystems helps Illinois weather more extreme and frequent flood events.

IEC Legislator Tours 2025
Empowering environmental champions in Illinois’ General Assembly requires building strong relationships with our legislators. These educational tours are a critical piece of that work.

WCPT 820 Interview: Jen Walling of Illinois Environmental Council
“It ended up being a really pretty good year for climate at the General Assembly. Both bills that had to do with climate, energy, and

Chicago Budget Analysis (FY26)
The FY2026 budget strengthened environmental permitting and inspection functions, returning those duties to the appropriate Department of Environment, a top budget priority for the environmental community.