Governor Pritzker Urges Lawmakers to Pass Data Center POWER Act

Governor J.B. Pritzker is urging the Illinois General Assembly to pass the POWER Act during the upcoming fall veto session to establish uniform regulations for data center construction. The proposed legislation would require data centers to invest in clean energy, implement closed-loop water cooling systems to protect local supplies, and provide transparent reporting to communities. To slow development until these guardrails are established, Pritzker has frozen tax breaks for new projects.

The push for regulation follows warnings from the Illinois Environmental Council that unregulated data center growth could increase state electricity costs by $37 billion by 2050. However, some lawmakers oppose the restrictions, citing the economic advantages these facilities bring to local districts.

State Representative Jeff Keicher argues that data centers provide significant benefits, including funding for public infrastructure and reduced property tax levies. Keicher pointed to a Meta data center in DeKalb as a positive example, suggesting that concerns over water consumption are misconceptions and that such facilities often use less water for cooling than university dormitories.