Question of the day (Updated)
Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* NRDC…
NRDC joined the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition today at a press conference in Chicago calling for the Illinois General Assembly to protect water, climate goals, consumers, and communities by passing the POWER (Protecting Our Water, Energy, and Ratepayers) Act.
The rapid expansion of data centers in the United States is dramatically transforming our electricity system. The POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513), introduced last week in the IL General Assembly, would establish nation-leading guardrails on data centers that will minimize impacts on Illinoisans’ utility bills, climate, and water while driving a competitive “race to the top” for responsible data center investment. […]
• Prohibit shifting data center costs onto consumers: New rules holding data centers accountable for their own energy needs will ensure that, during peak electricity demand, data centers can only use the amount of power proportional to the amount of new clean energy they bring to the grid. The policy will also protect consumers from subsidizing the costs of upgrading data center distribution and transmission infrastructure.
• “Bring Your Own New Clean Capacity and Energy” (BYONCCE) Supply Plans: Data centers will be required to show how they will power their operations with new clean energy. These plans must rely on renewable energy and battery storage projects that can deliver electricity where the data center is located and add new power to the grid. Energy efficiency, flexible operations, and programs that reduce electricity use during peak times can also help meet this requirement.
• Faster Grid Connection for Clean Energy Leaders: Data centers that demonstrate responsible clean energy leadership will be able to connect to the electric grid ahead of their competitors, incentivizing economic development that protects consumers and our climate.
• Public Benefits and Affordability Fund: Calibrated to their size, all data centers will pay annually into a restricted fund administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Illinois EPA to enhance:
• Energy Affordability: Data center payments will be used to enhance DCEO utility-bill assistance (LIHEAP), shutoff avoidance assistance(UDAP), and whole-home retrofit incentive (IHWAP) programs for income-qualified electric customers.
• Environmental Justice: Payments will enhance Illinois EPA grantmaking for projects such as air quality monitoring and water infrastructure improvements.
• Protecting Consumers: Just like the electric grid, when a data center connects to our water utilities, they need to pay their fair share. Data centers need to show they are doing so with a transparent cost-of-service model.
* More on water from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
• Transparent reporting of water use, so communities know how much water data centers take, use, and discharge.
• Water efficiency standards, requiring assessments of cooling alternatives and mandating highly efficient systems.
• Fair cost requirements, ensuring data centers pay their full share when connecting to public water systems.
• Drinking water protections, reviewed by the Illinois State Water Survey to protect drinking water supplies.
* More on pollution from the ICJC…
• Limit diesel generator pollution, allowing backup generators to run only during true emergencies.
• Require cumulative impact assessments before siting data centers near Environmental Justice or Equity Investment Eligible Communities.
• Guarantee transparent public engagement, including binding Community Benefits Agreements and prohibitions on non-disclosure agreements with local governments.
• Create a Public Benefits and Affordability Fund, funded by data centers, to support energy bill assistance, home efficiency upgrades, air quality monitoring, and water infrastructure in impacted communities.
* The Question: Do you oppose any of these proposals? Please explain your answer. If you support them all, then tell us what your favorite idea is and why.
…Adding… IMA…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) today released the following statement in response to legislation that would hamper the development of data centers in Illinois, risking economic growth and investment:
“Data centers represent the future of a modern economy, as they make cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics and advanced manufacturing possible. These advances will result in billions of dollars of investment in Illinois, generating much-needed tax revenue for local and state governments, employing thousands of construction workers and creating an innovation ecosystem that supports the next generation of tech jobs in Illinois,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Illinois’ looming energy crisis follows the passage of several major energy bills that has resulted in the loss of significant baseload power generation, driving up costs and threatening reliability. Instead of penalizing innovation, we encourage policymakers to focus on an all-of-the-above energy approach that prioritizes maintaining and expanding baseload generation sources, investing in transmission and affordable battery storage, and deploying more renewable resources. Illinois can’t afford to keep making the same mistakes while blaming others for creating the problem.”
- clec dcn - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 1:22 pm:
According to my research Illinois has over 200 data centers if I understand correctly. I am not against any of these things they sound reasonable, but the real question is if this is talk but no action. The Centers can try for all this, but will they come up short or fudge the numbers. To me the proof is in what comes out. Possibly looking at what is already here and which ones are doing the best job. Water especially in Central Illinois and issue and energy always on our plates. No fast fix it laws that might work, I would like more meat in the picture.
- Mason born - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 1:40 pm:
One thing that stands out is the Diesel limits for generators.
All generators need to be exercised at regular intervals so that they work when needed. That exercise is ideally done under load aka during regular operation. Any restrictions should allow that or it’s greatly reducing the dependability of those systems.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 1:59 pm:
More for clarity on the “Bring Your Own New Clean Capacity and Energy” (BYONCCE)- How will generation be proven? Installed capacity is not the same as generation. To achieve 24/7/365 generation for data centers multiple factors of renewable energy capacity plants/storage would be needed to get to the actual generation levels needed for, as an example, a 250 MW data center. How many acres of solar panels, individual wind turbines, and/or battery storage as well locations of those projects along with substations and transmission corridors (new or existing) will be needed in relation to each data center? Will the data center have some responsibilities in relation to making sure the renewable energy infrastructure(s) they would be responsible for bringing to the table are kept in good working order so other energy customers on the grid are not on the hook for maintenance/repowering/etc.? thahttps://www.windpowerengineering.com/whats-difference-installed-capacity-electricity-generation-energy-sources/
- Detective Joe Friday - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:16 pm:
While a lot of these proposals sound innocuous, the effect will be that data centers will simply locate elsewhere. Then again, perhaps that is the point of this legislation.
Illinois is a distant 4th in terms of data centers, and as much as the ICJC and others want to claim that data centers are behind the current affordability crisis, the data would tell you otherwise. The top 2 states for data centers–Virginia and Texas–have electricity rates that are lower than Illinois (Source: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a).
Maybe something other than data center demand makes electricity more expensive in Illinois than elsewhere? “Just the facts, ma’am”
- The Farm Grad - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:18 pm:
Five years the hyperscalers focused on clean energy and lowering their carbon footprint. Today they need 24/7 uninterrupted power, and are partial to sites near natural gas and nuclear power.
Is our competition also requiring the hyperscalers to commit to clean energy?
- Norseman - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:22 pm:
=== “Data centers represent the future of a modern economy, as they make cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics and advanced manufacturing possible. …” ===
Left unsaid is that AI will have an extremely disruptive impact on employment. The Atlantic just posted a piece - “AMERICA ISN’T READY FOR WHAT AI
WILL DO TO JOBS”. Let’s plan so we can avoid creating massive problems that will asymmetrically impact middle- and lower-class America in this rush to grab the cash.
- yinn - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:25 pm:
I don’t oppose any of the measures particularly, but show me the enforcement plan. No half-measures on that. My favorite proposal is ensuring data centers pay communities for their water. No more water agreements where well drilling and/or takeovers of old farm wells are allowed.
- FT - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:30 pm:
Maybe this is just an opening salvo and the enviros will negotiate back from it, but if this becomes law it will pretty much end data center development in Illinois. That might sound like a good thing considering all the problems data centers are creating. But they’ll just open in neighboring states with weaker environmental regulations, where they will plug into the exact same energy grid we use and still cause the many of the same problems for us.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:31 pm:
===“Just the facts, ma’am” ===
The facts are that Illinois has pretty reasonable electricity rates in comparison.
- Dotnonymous x - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:41 pm:
AI will necessitate the implementation of universal income for everyone…call it the people’s dividend.
- Oklahoma - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 2:41 pm:
These all have a mixed level of difficulty.
Prohibiting diesel backup generators from running outside of emergencies seems like a must. Can’t be “rolling coal” on neighbors just because you don’t want to make a long-term investment.
Water use standards are another easy yes because you don’t need once-through cooling. Closed loop geothermal systems are viable in every inch of the state.
Allowing companies that pay to bring their own clean energy online to get connected faster is a great strategy and makes great sense.
On the difficult side:
Bring your own clean energy is difficult, especially if it needs to be physically connected.
If just nearby, it is feasible but runs I to potential for utility delays.
You have to be wary about all the build out to support data centers that will likely not be around for the time it takes to recover the costs to build the supporting infrastructure and capacity. Don’t know what the right time is, but it’s not immediate and it’s not never.
What might be missing is the noise pollution, as that is an issue that has been big elsewhere (though that is often resolved by the generator limits and efficiency requirements).
Looking at it from a risk perspective: what is the worse case scenario? We spend billions of dollars for new public utility infrastructure for concrete shells that have no people and may not be around in 10 years? Or that we miss out on some construction jobs for the next few years while this all gets figured out?
And regardless, this may be a moot point if the data centers say they need changes to BIPA, which seems quite unlikely to happen in this day and age.
- Think Again - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 3:05 pm:
=Limit diesel generator pollution, allowing backup generators to run only during true emergencies=
This is silly - Emergency/standby generators basically use an engine (similar to a car engine) powered by natural gas, propane (LP), or diesel. Just like your car, they need regular operation to stay in good shape—otherwise, parts can seize up, moisture can build up in the fuel tank, fuel can go stale, batteries can drain, and other issues can develop. All generators (especially standby or backup ones) should be exercised (run through a test cycle) at least weekly— based on standards like NFPA 110—to ensure everything works when a real emergency hits.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 3:11 pm:
===similar to a car engine===
lol
Have you seen those giant things? C’mon.
- Oklahoma - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 4:00 pm:
I hate to use the term gaslighting, but it is oddly punny here. Even hospitals don’t test their backup generators weekly.
- Tom - Wednesday, Feb 11, 26 @ 4:01 pm:
I’m okay with Data Centers being built here, just don’t raise residential rates to pay for your power. I appreciate the IMA’s stance. Instead of calling this the POWER Act, let’s call it what it is. The Amish Act. You want us all to go back to the horse and buggy.