State Sen. Koehler on the end-of-session crunch and push for data center, insurance industry regulation
Illinois State Sen. Dave Koehler discussed legislative efforts to regulate data centers, including the proposed POWER Act to address water consumption, electricity costs, and noise. These initiatives respond to local opposition and moratoriums on data center construction across Illinois. Additionally, Governor Pritzker issued an executive order to pause data center tax credits.
Illinois State Sen. Dave Koehler reflected on the recent legislative session, highlighting discussions around regulating data centers due to growing local opposition. Concerns primarily revolve around water usage, rising electricity prices, and noise pollution, which have led some local governments to enact moratoriums or cancel projects.
Sen. Koehler supported the proposed POWER Act, a bill introduced by Illinois lawmakers aimed at regulating data centers. Key provisions of the act include requiring data centers to disclose water consumption and bear more of the burden for electricity prices. Koehler specifically mentioned the importance of not using drinking water from sources like the Mahomet aquifer for data center operations and suggested using gray water instead, as facilitated by entities like the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District.
While state legislation addresses electricity and water, Koehler emphasized that local governments, whether municipalities or counties, retain the crucial role of proper zoning to mitigate noise pollution. Furthermore, Governor JB Pritzker announced a temporary pause on data center tax credits through an executive order after the legislature failed to pass a similar measure in the budget.