By Ben Szalinski & Maggie DoughertyCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com A new study predicts data centers expected to be built in Illinois over the next decade would create thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in new property tax revenue. But many are skeptical the touted benefits will live up to their
September 20, 2026Dear editor; An interesting meeting was held September 14 at Santori Library in Aurora. A write-up covering the meeting was in the September 17 Beacon-News about the meeting on data centers. It interested me to observe all the open-ended and uncertain, not to mention confusing, issues surrounding data
The Illinois Environmental Council honored mayor John Laesch with the Milestone Achievement Award at its annual Environmental Leadership Dinner October 2. The award, which is given to leaders who drive major environmental policy and legislative progress in the State of Illinois, recognizes mayor Laesch’s innovative approach to the City of
By Mavis Bates Sierra Club Valley of the Fox, We Can Lead Change, and Sustainable Aurora Mayor’s Advisory Board will present Data Center Impacts: Protecting Our Water, Energy, and Ratepayers with The Illinois Power Act, a panel discussion by local experts about The POWER Act Monday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m.
By Maggie Dougherty & Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com When governor JB Pritzker signed tax incentives for data centers into law in his first year as governor in 2019, Republicans and Democrats celebrated the plan as an economic driver. “In today’s world, data centers are as critical a part of our
By Maggie DoughertyCapitol News Illinoismdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com In a surprise move, governor 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. The governor has directed the Illinois
The Sierra Club Valley of the Fox will host its monthly program on Data Centers, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S Batavia Ave., Batavia, and on Zoom. Are data centers an asset to our communities or a threat? What can local municipalities do
By Nikoel HytrekCapitol News Illinoisnhytrek@captiolnewsillinois.com The Illinois General Assembly continues to debate what to do about data centers as the artificial intelligence business keeps booming, and communities complain about their energy bills, noise and environmental impacts. Data centers are warehouse-like buildings that house computer servers and other infrastructure that power
Over the past several weeks, I’ve heard from a large number of residents regarding the proposed data centers in the Yorkville area – and the message has been clear. The majority of residents don’t want them, with quality of life a primary concern. I also took the step of running
At the Tuesday, March 24 City Council meeting, the Aurora City Council approved new, first-of-its-kind regulations intended to safeguard residents and the environment from future data center development. The nearly five-hour meeting included 17 speakers. Most spoke out against data centers. The approval of the new ordinances came as the
The Naperville City Council voted 6-1 against a proposal to build the Karis Critical dater center at the Tuesday, Jan. 20 City Council meeting. A packed City Council meeting with most attendees speaking against the plan, heard from representatives of the building trades seeking the Council to approve the proposal.
