Jason Cregier: Data centers are a topic of hot debate, as well as a topic of conversation that dominates the daily news cycle.
Now, with ever changing rules and regulations, it can be hard to stay on top of the information around data centers.
Tonight, the Environmental Study Group and the Northwest Illinois Bird & Nature Alliance will hold a presentation on data centers at the Freeport Public Library.
Also presenting tonight is the Citizens Utility Board. Joining us from CUB is their Communications Manager, Jim Chilsen.
Jim, thanks for being with us.
Jim Chilsen: Thanks for having me on, Jason.
So, what is one of the first questions you’re usually presented with when discussing data centers?
We always hear, “why are my electricity bills so high? And “Is that due to data centers?”
And our answer is, “Absolutely. Yes.”
ComEd customers this year are paying electricity prices that are more than 50% higher than they were just two years ago.
The big reason for that is soaring demand for new, and proposed, data centers.
How vulnerable are people in rural communities to these effects from data centers?
People across Illinois are upset about these data centers and how they are impacting their communities. We’re hoping for a good crowd tonight and provide information not just on how data centers are impacting their communities, but also what you can do about it.
Well, what can you do about it?
So, we’re speaking tonight with some great groups. The Prairie Rivers Network, as well as the Sierra Club of Illinois.
There is a great bill in Springfield called the Power Act. It is a comprehensive reform bill that would reign in data centers. What CUB really likes about the Power Act is the provisions in the bill that would make big tech data centers pay their fair share of energy costs.
The way we allocate electricity costs is outdated and it has not caught up with the soaring demand for energy from data centers.
Too often everyday customers are paying higher power bills or costs that data centers should be covering themselves. The Power Act would make big tech pay its fair share.
What would your response be to someone who is pro data center? An argument has been made that their big pockets can stimulate an economy and create jobs.
We’ve heard these arguments and that’s why we’re talking to people across the state. Some communities will welcome data centers and others will oppose them. We’re interested in putting common sense guard rails on these facilities so that we’re not paying higher energy bills for big tech.
That’s Jim Chilsen, Communications Manager for the Citizens Utility Board, which will be part of a representation of numerous groups discussing data centers at the Freeport Public Library tonight at 6.
Jim, thanks for joining us.
Thank you, sir.
