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NEWS & UPDATES
As Trump hacks away at environmental protections, Illinois strengthens them
A bill headed to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will end Illinois’ automatic adoption of weakened federal environmental standards.
Why More Illinoisans Are Saying “No” To Data Centers
On June 5, the Illinois legislature shot down House Bill 5513, better known as the POWER Act, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive bill of necessary regulations on the data centers that have been flooding into the state over the past decade, promising more jobs and increased revenue for local and state governments through property, sales and use taxes.
Gov. Pritzker slows down data center development
After years of championing data center development, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is pumping the brakes amid concerns over spiking energy bills, water use and pollution.
Lawmakers, stakeholders are ready for summer of data center negotiations
Lawmakers have a busy summer of negotiations ahead of them with pressure from both the governor’s office and their constituents to craft data center regulations that stakeholders and legislators can live with.
2026 Legislative Report
IEC’s state legislative team has published our 2026 Legislative Report detailing environmental wins and setbacks during this year’s legislative session.
Gov. Pritzker pauses data center subsidies
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.
SCORECARD & NEWSLETTERS
Legislative Scorecard
See how your state legislators voted on bills affecting the environment.
Newsletters
Read the most recent IEC Newsletter and view our archive going all the way back to the 1970s.
RESEARCH & REPORTS
Why are more elected officials calling for restrictions on data centers?
On Aug. 11, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order calling for a pause on data center construction and expansion in the city of Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signs data center order and pushes City Council for moratorium
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.
Community Outreach Internship
The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) is looking for a Community Outreach Intern to join our amazing team.
Illinois Environmental Council gives over half of Illinois legislators a perfect score on environmentally conscious votes this year
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.
WCPT 820 Interview: Dany Robles
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.
As study shows pesticides drifting onto Illinois schools and parks, residents push for better tracking
Commercial pesticides are being detected in public spaces like schools and parks, according to recently released research by Prairie Rivers Network, an Illinois-based nonprofit that advocates for water health. In addition, environmental advocates say Illinois doesn’t have an established method to track agricultural pesticide drift and lacks the regulations to prevent exposure like what occurred in Morton.