Illinois

Our Chicago: How data centers could positively, negatively impact you

Published

6 days ago

April 5, 2026

Our Chicago: How data centers could positively, negatively impact you

CHICAGO (WLS) — The I-Team reported in February that there were 164 operating data centers in Illinois, with dozens more in the works.

The city of Joliet recently voted to approve plans for a large data center.

That vote came after hours of public meetings, packed with people eager to weigh in. Joliet city leaders said it would bring tax revenue and financial benefits for the community.

Some residents expressed concerns about the potential environmental impacts.

But, what exactly is a data centers and why are some communities eager to attract them?; Why are so many people opposed to them?

“A data center is going to be a building that provides the space, the power and the infrastructure for everything that we do online today,” said Brad Tietz, the director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition. “So, when you look at where demand is going, for data, so everything we’re doing on the internet, the average household has 21 connected devices to it. We’re going to use twice the amount of data in the next five years than we’ve used in the last ten years.”

Part 2 – Our Chicago: Data Centers

When it comes to the types of jobs created by data centers, he says it depends on the size of the facility.

“There’s going to be technicians, service engineers, etcetera. The real value, especially for Illinois residents, is going to be on the construction side,” Tietz said.

In some communities considering data centers, residents are concerned about their water usage.

“The data center industry has been a large water user, historically, but by no means the largest compared to other industries. And if you look at how efficient the industry is getting, and I’ll remind you too, not every data center uses water. Some are actually using, especially in a colder climate like Illinois, the outdoor air temperature to help cool their facilities,” Tietz said.

Jen Walling is the Chief Executive Officer of the Illinois Environmental Council.

She wrote in Crain’s that “Big Tech” is coming to Illinois and that the state isn’t ready.

“We don’t have the guardrails in place that are going to be necessary to protect our environment, to keep our rates low, to protect our communities and most importantly, protect our water,” Walling said.

Part 1 – Our Chicago: Data Centers

She says the Alliance for the Great Lakes has put out a report where they’ve looked at water usage, and some data centers aren’t using much water.

“Some data centers are using up to five million gallons of water a day. These are huge water users, and they can be taking from different sources including Lake Michigan,” she explained.

“We’re also very concerned about air pollution and the energy usage, these are huge energy users,” Walling said.

She also explained the concerns for people living nearby.

“They need to be on with energy all the time. So, all of these facilities have backup diesel generators. And the residents in the [Aurora] community said that they could smell the methane gas that was being burned, the diesel gas that was being burned. And that’s particulate matter, it’s odor, so these communities face real consequences when something happens,” she said.

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Illinois

Chicago school board votes against helping thousands of Chicago students

Published

9 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Chicago school board votes against helping thousands of Chicago students

The Chicago Board of Education wants Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reject a federal program offering donated money to students.

A new Chicago Board of Education resolution urges Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers to reject a federal program that will provide donor money for students’ academic needs.

The measure passed 15-0 with three members abstaining.

Many on the board appeared to rely on the inaccurate claim that public money will be diverted for private education. But some seemed wary of blindly following the Chicago Teachers Union, which is less popular than ever.

Board member Jennifer Custer indicated she has seen a lot of community interest and that the feedback she’s heard is “50-50 for and against” the federal program.

Before the vote, board member Ellen Rosenfeld motioned to table the resolution indefinitely. While her motion was unsuccessful, Rosenfeld made clear she believed the issue belongs instead on the board’s legislative agenda.

If the state opts into the program, thousands of K-12 Chicago Public School students could receive donor money for tutoring, test fees, career coaching, books and more.

The money would be donated by taxpayers, who would get a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit up to $1,700 each year. Any taxpayer can get the credit for a qualified contribution to a tax-exempt scholarship-granting organization.

That means the only cost to the federal government is minimal foregone income tax revenue. There is no cost to states, only the benefit of more help flowing directly to students.

If Pritzker does not opt Illinois into the program, residents will watch the money flow to other states.

Pritzker has until Jan. 1, 2027, to decide if over a million Illinois families and students will be able to access donated education money for their academic needs.

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Illinois

Illinois native inside NASA’s Mission Control talks Artemis II splashdown

Published

21 hours ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

Illinois native inside NASA’s Mission Control talks Artemis II splashdown – NBC Chicago

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Illinois

Missing man’s body found in retention pond in Elk Grove Village, police say

Published

1 day ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

Missing man’s body found in retention pond in Elk Grove Village, police say

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (WLS) — The body of a missing man was found in a retention pond Thursday in the northwest suburbs, police said.

Chopper 7 was over the scene at a retention pond at Higgins and Innovation Drive in Elk Grove Village, in front of a number of warehouses in the area.

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There was a large police presence there for multiple hours, surrounding the water.

Chopper 7 witnessed dive teams go in and out of the water, and there were paramedics on scene.

Elk Grove Police confirmed a male body was found in the water in the 700 block of Innovation Drive. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene.

Police identified the body as a missing 26-year-old man named Alexis Ramirez.

Ramirez had been missing since March 10. Elk Grove Police were searching the same area after Ramirez went missing after he was the sole occupant of a single-vehicle crash near Higgins and Brennan Boulevard, which is right by the pond he was found in on Thursday.

Police believe he walked away from that scene before officers arrived. At that time, the police search led to no one being found.

ABC7 spoke to the family of Ramirez on the scene Thursday, and they appeared very emotional.

Police say there is no evidence of foul play at this time as they send out their condolences to the family.

No further information was immediately available.

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