MILLER: Polls show most Illinoisans aren’t wild about having data centers as neighbors

MILLER: Polls show most Illinoisans aren’t wild about having data centers as neighbors

News ClipMuddy River News·IL·4/18/2026

A recent poll indicates that 68% of likely Illinois voters support legislation to regulate data centers. Concerns primarily revolve around their impact on utility bills, climate, and water resources. While a portion of opponents still wants some regulation, the overall sentiment favors stricter oversight for data center development.

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Gov: Illinois General Assembly
In a mid-March poll, 68 percent of likely Illinois voters said they would support legislation to “regulate data centers to minimize their impact on our utility bills, climate, and water while still allowing them to be built.” But while 21 percent opposed the legislation, more than half of those opponents (56 percent) said they did...