A bill headed to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will end Illinois’ automatic adoption of weakened federal environmental standards.
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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.
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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.
Gov. Pritzker slows down data center development Read More »
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.
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IEC’s state legislative team has published our 2026 Legislative Report detailing environmental wins and setbacks during this year’s legislative session.
2026 Legislative Report Read More »
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.
Gov. Pritzker pauses data center subsidies Read More »
In a surprise move, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday that he is putting a pause on all new state tax incentives for data centers and calling on lawmakers to pass new data center reforms during the fall veto session.
Gov. JB Pritzker suspends tax breaks for data centers, urges more discussion Read More »
A bill, newly passed by legislators, will expand the state’s capacity to enforce limits on health-harming emissions in overburdened communities.
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Illinois lawmakers passed one of the nation’s strictest AI safety policies last week, but the state still lags behind Florida and Tennessee when it comes to regulating the buildings that make AI use possible: data centers.
Illinois regulates AI safety but not data centers Read More »
“The ICJC supports continued education (about the POWER Act), but communities around the state have spoken and are demanding action from lawmakers to address the impact the influx of data centers has on our utility bills, water resources, and communities,” said Hannah Flath, a spokesperson for the Illinois Environmental Council, on behalf of the Clean Jobs Coalition. “We’re calling on legislative leaders to convene a negotiating table by the end of June to negotiate and work toward passing the POWER Act.”
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What makes Illinois’ bill distinct is the parks provision within the spray area, as studies point to particle drift and widespread injury across non-target public and private lands.
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Hundreds of advocates and organizers headed to Springfield this week for Environmental Lobby Day in Illinois.
As Illinois officials remain strongly committed to closing coal-fired power plants, federal policies under the Trump administration are creating uncertainty, spurring legal action and a push by some to keep the plants open.
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The POWER Act proposes a commonsense solution: require data centers to pay 100% of the costs they impose on the grid. If a private corporation’s operations require expensive new infrastructure, Illinois ratepayers shouldn’t be stuck with the bill. Data centers must pay their fair share.
Core to the landmark climate law is creating “a just transition,” said Francisco Lopez Zavala, the Illinois Environmental Council’s policy program associate. For lawmakers, this means building a clean energy workforce in Illinois’ most environmentally burdened communities.
Illinois is home to hundreds of iconic animals. Who are you? Find your birth month to discover more about your critter.
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Jennifer Walling, executive director of the advocacy nonprofit Illinois Environmental Council, said the organization has been working with state lawmakers to pass a bill for the last three years. “It’s frustrating to see this choice taken away,” she said.
“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.
POWER Act: Lawmakers seek to regulate new data centers’ power, water usage Read More »
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.
Environmental groups push to reign in data centers Read More »
“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.
EPA plans to give 11 coal plants a free pass on toxic ash disposal Read More »
