WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Municipal Electric/Utilities Association (IMEA/IMUA) to discuss Illinois’ electric systems as new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, place new strains on the sector. In today’s meeting, Durbin and IMEA/IMUA members talked about the need for data center operators to be transparent about the expected power and water usage associated with running these centers.
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Additionally, Durbin spoke out against congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included a provision to end wind and solar tax credits implemented through the Inflation Reduction Act. As a result of the discontinuation of these tax credits, dozens of clean energy projects have been cancelled just as the electric grid is seeing increased strain.
“Our technologies are evolving, and the demands on our energy sector are evolving with them. Today, I spoke with IMEA/IMUA members about how our state can expect the energy sector to be impacted by incoming data centers, as well as how we can prioritize transparency related to the expected power and water usage associated with these centers,” Durbin said.
