Protect our water, energy, and ratepayers from data center harms!

Illinois must act to protect our water, energy, and ratepayers from data centers!

Big Tech corporations are lining up to cash-in on the race to build AI data centers across Illinois. These energy and water-intensive facilities are already increasing home utility bills, polluting our air, threatening our water supply, and straining Illinois’ climate goals. As your constituent, I ask you to co-sponsor and vote yes on the POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513) to protect our water, energy, and ratepayers from data center harms. The POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513) establishes nation-leading guardrails on data centers including policies that will: -Prohibit shifting costs onto consumers -Require that data centers bring their own new clean energy to meet their power and capacity demands -Limit the use of back-up diesel generators, and incentivize clean energy storage instead -Require long-term, transparent, energy planning -Require community benefits agreements for all data center developments -Resource communities to engage in regulatory processes -Ban the use of non-disclosure agreements between data center developers and local governments -Prevent data centers from opening up in already over-polluted communities without a study showing the project will not disproportionately harm the community -Require data centers contribute to a fund to assist with energy affordability and environmental improvements -Require data centers report their water use -Ensure data centers pay their fair share for water use -Require data centers use the most effective water efficiency technology available -Prevent adverse impacts to drinking water by requiring review by the Illinois State Water Survey We need you to take action to protect our communities and environment.