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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
Illinois Reconsiders Data Center Growth
Coverage from Block Club Chicago, KHQA, and others
Illinois is reassessing how it approves and supports data centers after rapid growth raised concerns about electricity prices, grid infrastructure, water use, emissions, noise, and local quality of life.
Gov. JB Pritzker paused new state tax-credit applications, while Chicago and multiple municipalities are pursuing stronger reviews, moratoriums, zoning limits, reporting requirements, and environmental standards. Statewide legislation remains unresolved, with the proposed POWER Act and related rules still subject to negotiations and political debate.
Looking Back
108 Day Timeline
May 9
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All Articles67 articles
Important
Chicago officials, utilities and developers are managing rapid 2025 data-center expansion amid projected power, water, infrastructure and neighborhood impacts across Chicago and surrounding Cook County.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago City Council staff recommended in 2026 that Chicago adopt dedicated data center permits and zoning reviews to address environmental, water, energy, and neighborhood impacts.
8/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois policymakers address data center siting and incentives, as Illinois halts tax incentives and the Illinois POWER Act fails to advance.
7/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois lawmakers began summer negotiations on POWER Act-style data center rules after Gov. JB Pritzker paused tax benefits and House Bill 5513 advanced in committee.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Environmental advocates in Illinois seek passage of the POWER Act before session end, proposing mandatory data-center water and energy disclosure, community benefits agreements, and public environmental assessments.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Aurora, Illinois adopted new data center moratorium follow-on rules in 2024-2025, joining other Illinois counties citing noise, water, and utility-cost concerns.
6/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson ordered a city task force in Chicago to develop stricter data center regulations and urged a temporary moratorium on new and expanded facilities.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson ordered a pause on new data center construction Tuesday as city officials develop stronger environmental and permitting rules in Chicago.
8/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed a 2026 executive order creating data center safeguards and proposed a moratorium on new facilities and major expansions in Chicago, Illinois.
8/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Tuesday creating a data center task force and urged a temporary moratorium as Chicago develops permanent regulations.
8/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois lawmakers and local officials debate new data center obligations as the Illinois POWER Act and Aurora ordinances respond to AI-driven demand and noise and water concerns.
5/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Environmental advocates in Illinois pressed lawmakers in May to advance the POWER Act, which would require data-center water-use reporting, public benefits agreements, and renewable power generation.
5/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois lawmakers consider the proposed POWER Act and related local ordinances for data centers amid AI-driven demand, grid strain, and noise and water concerns.
5/9/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Champaign County Board in Illinois approved a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers after residents raised water, energy, and noise concerns and requested zoning reforms.
6/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois lawmakers said the POWER Act for data center water, community benefits, and renewable-energy rules will not pass this spring, and tax-credit pause talks continue into summer.
5/31/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed Executive Order No. 2026-5 on August 11, 2026, directing city departments to strengthen data center oversight and urging the City Council to consider a temporary moratorium.
8/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Tuesday creating a data-center task force and advancing a temporary moratorium proposal in Chicago.
8/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois lawmakers rejected House Bill 5513, the POWER Act, on June 5, amid expanding data centers and ongoing debate over regulatory oversight.
6/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois Senator Darby Hills introduced Senate Bill 1050 to impose a temporary moratorium and expand local siting hearings and water and noise protections for data centers.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Detroit City Councilmember Scott Benson says Detroit is pausing data center approvals to build a zoning framework while Michigan legislators consider broader moratoriums.
6/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois lawmakers consider POWER Act HB5513 and SB4016, which would add water reporting and grid and renewable oversight for hyperscale data centers as of May 2026.
5/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois mayors and the Illinois General Assembly weigh the POWER Act and local ordinances as AI data-center growth raises grid, noise, and water concerns.
5/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Illinois lawmakers debate the POWER Act for data centers as communities cite ComEd grid constraints and local concerns about noise and water use.
5/9/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Tuesday at Northerly Island establishing data-center safeguards as officials confront rising power, water, and land-use concerns.
8/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed data center safeguards and requested a temporary construction moratorium Tuesday in Chicago while stronger regulations are developed.
8/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
Missouri local officials and residents pushed bans and restrictions on CRG data centers amid concerns about water use, power costs, and land-use impacts.
6/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Illinois town halls in Pekin, Joliet, and Chicago's southeast side fueled bipartisan legislation in response to proposed hyperscale data center risks to air quality, water quality, and energy bills.
5/11/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Hoffman Estates Plan Commission voted 4-2 against rezoning for a proposed data center near Higgins Road and Route 59 after residents opposed the change.
6/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced July 1 changes to data center tax incentives and environmental reporting requirements amid concerns about energy bills and water use.
6/22/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker paused data center tax incentives in June as Rep. Ann Williams and lawmakers planned summer negotiations on POWER Act regulations.
6/19/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Gov. JB Pritzker paused new Illinois data center tax incentive agreement processing on June 5, 2026 after the POWER Act failed in the 2026 session.
6/10/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
JB Pritzker announced July 1 pause of Illinois data-center tax incentives, citing power infrastructure strain and water-resource impacts tied to AI demand.
6/7/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker ordered a July 1 pause on new state tax incentives for data centers after POWER Act talks and grid plus water affordability concerns.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a July 1 pause of data-center tax incentive applications, adding public notice and energy-water reporting as costs rise.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
JB Pritzker ordered DCEO to pause Illinois Data Center Investment Program agreement processing starting July 1 while proposing electricity rate, water permitting, and community impact requirements.
6/5/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
JB Pritzker ordered Illinois to pause Data Center Investment Program tax incentive processing starting July 1 while an energy and water impact framework is negotiated.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered a July 1 pause of new data center tax incentives, citing energy affordability and water constraints after the POWER Act failed.
6/5/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Illinois lawmakers extended POWER Act talks after missing the May 31 deadline, with proposals on water-use reporting, community benefits agreements, and renewable energy self-generation.
5/30/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois lawmakers in 2026 consider data center regulations focused on water use standards and utility bill impacts, drawing opposition over permitting difficulty.
5/23/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition held a July 22, 2026 Galena town hall to discuss hyperscale data center impacts and the POWER Act.
7/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Karis Critical seeks Hoffman Estates zoning change for a 186-acre data center on Plum Farms, after Illinois tax-incentive halts and pending state siting proposals.
6/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
In Joliet and Yorkville, local officials and residents debated large data center projects in spring 2026 over water use, energy demand, and tax-revenue impacts.
5/30/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Robyn Gabel and Ram Villivalam pursued continued negotiations over the Illinois POWER Act after a May 31 deadline, delaying statewide rules on water, community benefits, and renewable energy for data centers.
5/31/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker suspended data-center financial incentives in response to AI-driven electricity price concerns and proposed additional restrictions.
7/23/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Sangamon County approved a 280-acre CyrusOne data center as Illinois lawmakers debated the POWER Act on April 22, amid water, aquifer, and drought concerns.
5/26/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois advocates and energy policy specialists are supporting the proposed POWER Act to address undisclosed data-center utility arrangements and ratepayer risks in Rock Island County before lawmakers revisit the measure this fall.
8/19/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Mason and Allen Park planning decisions in Michigan unfold alongside proposed statewide moratorium bills and a Google water-resource grant for upcoming data-center development.
6/8/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Chicago established a Sustainable Data Centers Working Group in 2024, which produced recommendations submitted to the City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy in July 2026.
7/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois lawmakers proposed the POWER Act in spring 2020s legislation to regulate large data centers, adding BYONCE clean energy capacity and water monitoring requirements.
6/22/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Michigan policy analysis recommends case-by-case data center permitting, citing noise pollution mitigation as the key local action while power and water capacity appear adequate.
6/15/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker halted new data center tax incentive agreements in 2026, affecting new applications processed under the Data Center Investment Program.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker paused new data center tax incentive agreements while pursuing legislation on utility cost allocation and a ban on data center local government non disclosure agreements.
6/5/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Illinois lawmakers failed to pass the POWER Act in Springfield, leaving data-center transparency and tax-incentive pause plans unresolved amid power and environmental concerns.
6/4/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois legislators and the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition continued negotiations on the POWER Act after the May 31 General Assembly deadline, delaying proposed water, community, and renewable energy guardrails for data centers.
6/4/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
In Illinois, groups and legislators called for passage of the POWER Act and a pause on data center tax incentives after lawmakers adjourned in May.
6/1/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Environmental Council supporters rallied at the Illinois State Capitol in May to press legislators for passage of the POWER Act, SB4016 and HB5513.
5/30/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Residents and utility advocates discuss Chicago data center regulation at a Department of Environment community forum ahead of June 30 policy recommendations.
5/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois lawmakers consider the POWER Act and Aurora ordinances to regulate AI data-center energy, water use, noise, and wastewater permits.
5/13/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois labor and environmental stakeholders are shaping data-center rules on cooling, power, tax incentives, and local restrictions before the state legislature returns November 17 in Springfield.
8/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
JB Pritzker will pause Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity data-center tax incentive application processing starting July 1 and pursue a fall veto-session development framework.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois gubernatorial candidates JB Pritzker and Darren Bailey are debating data-center incentives and regulations as officials consider stricter energy and water requirements statewide before the 2026 election.
8/18/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois gubernatorial candidates JB Pritzker and Darren Bailey are disputing data center incentives and safeguards in Illinois during the 2026 election campaign.
8/17/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Additional
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this year that withdrawn data-center incentives and proposed power and water standards should address concerns raised by Illinois farmers about expanding AI facilities.
8/13/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker seeks statewide rules limiting data center expansion as Elk Grove Village reports operating and under-construction facilities using closed-loop cooling.
6/23/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Champaign County, Illinois approved a one-year moratorium on large-scale data center development as similar bans spread to counties in Texas, Wisconsin, and Michigan, amid rising water and energy concerns.
6/8/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Craig Johnson and Jen Walling addressed data-center impacts in Elk Grove Village as Illinois lawmakers advanced the Power Act requiring water reporting, Illinois EPA permits, and renewable plus battery-backed power sourcing.
5/21/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Illinois lawmakers in budget talks said Sen. Ram Villivalam's data-center local renewables and water-reporting proposal lacked support and stalled.
5/31/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General