Push to reign in data centers in Joliet, across Illinois | The Chicago Report
Joliet City Council approved a large 800-acre data center project despite significant community opposition and concerns about electricity usage and environmental impacts. Advocates, including Green Latinos, are now pushing for the statewide Power Act to establish common sense guardrails for data center development across Illinois, mandating community benefits agreements and banning non-disclosure agreements.
The Joliet City Council recently approved an 800-acre data center project, a decision that has faced significant community pushback. Advocates, including Lucy Contreras from Green Latinos, argue that the approval was premature because the local government signed a non-disclosure agreement with the data center developers, keeping crucial details from the community regarding the project's potential impacts on affordability, air quality, and the environment.
Contreras and other advocates are now urging state lawmakers to pass the Power Act, a bill designed to establish guardrails for data center expansion across Illinois. This act aims to protect consumers from higher utility bills by making data centers cover their own infrastructure and energy costs, rather than straining the existing grid. It also includes stronger water accountability measures, sustainable water use standards, and transparency requirements. Furthermore, the Power Act would limit the use of highly polluting diesel backup generators, require cumulative impact assessments for facilities in environmental justice communities, and increase transparency by banning non-disclosure agreements while mandating community benefits agreements. Advocates stress the urgency of passing this bill, encouraging residents to contact their legislators, as data centers are rapidly developing across the state.