Bill > SB4004

This bill, titled the Data Center Water Transparency and Aquifer Protection Act, aims to protect the Mahomet Aquifer, a source of groundwater, by restricting data center water usage. Starting January 1, 2027, new data centers will be prohibited from using water from this aquifer, and state agencies will not be allowed to issue or renew permits for such use. Existing data centers must find alternative water sources and stop drawing from the Mahomet Aquifer by January 1, 2028. The bill also prevents local governments from entering into agreements that hide a data center's water usage information, ensuring transparency about how much water these facilities consume, where it comes from, and their impact on water resources. While proprietary data will remain confidential, aggregated and anonymized water usage data will be publicly available, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will publish annual reports on data center water consumption trends and be empowered to create rules and enforce penalties, including fines of up to $50,000 for violations and $10,000 per day for ongoing non-compliance.

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=4004&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104