Report: New data centers could create more than 120K Illinois jobs, though mostly temporary
The study says most of the jobs would be temporary construction and supplier work, while new facilities could add about $300 million a year in property taxes.
- On Thursday, the Illinois Economic Policy Institute released a study projecting $57 billion in data center investment through 2035 could create 120,000 jobs, contingent on addressing growing public opposition to the industry.
- Public distrust stems from state tax incentives costing $983 million between 2020 and 2024, combined with concerns about excessive water and energy consumption, according to Illinois Economic Policy Institute economist Frank Manzo.
- Researchers project only 2,800 permanent jobs despite 120,000 total positions, meaning developers spend $20.2 million per long-term role, says Anthony Elmo of Good Jobs First, a policy organization tracking corporate subsidies.
- The report proposes 10 policy changes, including banning non-disclosure agreements with officials and capping residential electricity rate increases at 5% annually to protect ratepayers from rising costs.
- ComEd service areas lack sufficient resources to reliably meet 2030 electricity demands, with researchers projecting data center growth could boost average residential bills by $12 monthly, or about 10%.
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Labor-aligned group sees boon in jobs and tax revenues with Illinois data center growth
<p>Data center projects planned in Illinois over the next decade could generate tens of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenues but also drive up utility bills, according to a <a class="Link" href="https://www.illinoisepi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/ILEPI-PMCR-Data-Centers-in-Illinois-_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" ><u>report</u></a> released Thursday.</p><p>The state is expecting $57 billion worth of new da…
The Toronto Star
Report: New data centers could create more than 120K Illinois jobs, though mostly temporary
A new study predicts data centers expected to be built in Illinois over the next decade would create thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in new property tax revenue.
Report: New data centers could create more than 120K Illinois jobs, though mostly temporary – Capitol News IL
There are already more than 240 planned or active data centers in Illinois, or 19 per 1 million residents. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity estimated that, as of 2025, data centers received an estimated tax break value that exceeded $660 million.
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