Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transparency And Environmental Justice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Joliet resident warns proposed 1.8 GW data center could strain grid, water and public health
Summary
A Joliet resident told the committee the proposed 1.8 GW Joliet project was negotiated in secrecy, could require massive backup generators and worsen air and water burdens in an already overburdened community; she urged passage of the Power Act (house bill 15 55 13).
Portia Gallegos, a Joliet resident, testified that her community has been 'blindside[d]' by negotiations for a proposed 1.8-gigawatt data center and urged state action on transparency and environmental protections.
"This is the largest proposed data center in Illinois. It will consume as much electricity as the city of Saint Louis," Gallegos said, adding that the annexation and negotiations with out-of-state developers occurred largely under confidentiality and with little public notice. She warned that large numbers of diesel backup generators could multiply local emissions and that Joliet — already experiencing nonattainment for air quality — faces greater asthma and respiratory risks for children and elders.
Gallegos asked lawmakers to pass the Power Act (cited in her testimony as "house bill 15 55 13") to provide state-level guardrails, require developers to pay their fair share and ensure residents have a seat at the table. She said residents were denied extra time to review the project and called for clearer requirements on generator counts, water use and community protections.
