Demand Data Center Guardrails: Protect Illinois’ Water & Our Wallets

Large data centers are being proposed and built across Illinois. Without strong guardrails and protective planning, they could drain huge amounts of groundwater that many Illinoisans rely on for drinking water and agriculture. They could expel wastewater that’s contaminated with pollutants, damaging our lakes and rivers.  

Illinois residents could see their energy bills increase because of unprecedented demand that large data centers put on local power systems. There is concern about similar increases in future water costs. 

With the POWER Act, Illinois has the opportunity to protect our water, our wallets, and frontline communities, and continue our leadership in building climate resilience. 

Illinois’ POWER Act will: 

• Require sunshine and transparency. Currently, Illinois data centers are not required to disclose, track, or report water use by any state or federal law. The POWER Act establishes transparent reporting and consumer protection requirements for data centers to help ensure Illinois’ water resources are used responsibly. 
• Protect our water. The POWER Act requires data centers to consider the costs of providing high volumes of drinking water for cooling, and to treat potentially new and dangerous contaminants in wastewater.

Tell your Illinois legislators to protect our waters and wallets! Urge them to vote “yes” on the POWER Act today.

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