Illinois Data Center Intel

Recent Illinois data center news

• Jan 21, 2026

  Data centers could drive Michigan air pollution higher with climate law loophole: Science nonprofit

  The Union of Concerned Scientists has called on the Michigan Legislature to enact a CO2 Reduction Policy to close a legal loophole that exempts electricity exports from state clean-energy targets.

  • Main action: UCS released a report recommending a “CO2 Reduction Policy” that would cap fossil fuel burning for out-of-state sales and achieve net zero by 2050, with a phased target of 80% reductions for out-of-state sales by 2040 and 100% by 2045; the report projects electricity exports rising from “minimal” today to more than 56 gigawatt-hours annually and forecasts fossil fuel emissions from Michigan utilities could rise 26% between 2023 and 2050 if the loophole remains.
  • Context and details: Michigan law currently requires 100% clean energy for retail sales by 2040 but does not apply to electricity sold to other states (per Michigan Public Service Commission); UCS notes Michigan’s two largest utilities could see up to 22 gigawatts of load growth from data centers and that even 5 GW of new demand could, combined with electrification, double state energy consumption by 2050.
• Jan 20, 2026

  GSN Roundup: Blackstone and Willis Tower, JV’s Big Data Center Refi, and Prestige Closing

  Affinius Capital partnership is seeking a $925 million mortgage to refinance the second phase of the Gainesville Crossing Data Center Campus.

  • Deal specifics: The JV of Affinius and Corscale is pursuing a $925 million mortgage to refinance a fully leased, 482,000 sq ft building with 72 megawatts of capacity; the borrower prefers a floating-rate loan with a 2–3 year term, and Newmark is advising. The tenant is an undisclosed large cloud-computing provider on an initial 15-year lease; the building is part of a planned five-building campus totaling 306 MW.
  • Background & supporting facts: The 130-acre site was bought from Buchanan Partners in mid-2020 for $74.5 million after rezoning in late 2019; Corscale is the data-center arm of Patrinely and Affinius’ predecessor firm is USAA Real Estate, which helped acquire the site. Financial performance issues led Larry H. Miller Co. to close Prestige Financial Services amid an MLB expansion funding push (expansion fee expected to top $2 billion), and Blackstone is separately exploring options around a $1.32 billion securitized loan on Willis Tower.
• Jan 20, 2026

  Switched Source Expands Grid-Enhancing Technology Deployments by 60%

  Switched Source reported a 60% increase in deployments of its Phase-EQ grid-enhancing technology over the past year, with units now operating across more than 10 utility service areas from Alaska to Florida.

  • Deployment growth & scope: Switched Source reports a 60% increase in deployments year-over-year, with Phase-EQ units operating in more than 10 utility service areas including New York, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington state; field data from operational sites shows 10% to 25% increase in load-serving capacity on active distribution circuits.
  • Device function & program support: Phase-EQ is described as the first distribution automation device that balances power flow between the three phases by exchanging real and reactive power; the company was founded in 2016 and the project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E SCALEUP program. A recent Georgia Power deployment is designed to reduce load imbalance by half and voltage imbalance by more than 30%, with the utility supplying substation-level data to track performance.
• Jan 19, 2026

  Constellation Completes Acquisition of Calpine; Groups Have 55 GW of Generation Capacity

  Constellation has completed its acquisition of Calpine Corp. from Energy Capital Partners (ECP).

  • Transaction completed: Constellation completed the announced cash-and-stock acquisition of Calpine (initially announced as a $16.4-billion deal a year earlier); the transaction has a total value of $26.6 billion including debt, and the combined company will have 55 GW of generation capacity and serve 2.5 million retail and business customers. The merged company will maintain headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, with a significant presence in Houston, Texas, and will supply power to data centers, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure.
  • Regulatory settlement and divestitures: To resolve U.S. antitrust concerns the DOJ Antitrust Division and the Texas Attorney General required the divestiture of six power plants (four serving PJM and two serving ERCOT): Bethlehem Energy Center; York Energy Center (York 1 and York 2); Hay Road Energy Center; Edge Moor Energy Center; Jack A. Fusco Energy Center; Gregory Power Plant. The DOJ filed a proposed consent decree (the Division’s first electricity-merger consent decree in 14 years) to address competition concerns in ERCOT and PJM.
• Jan 19, 2026

  What's your AI footprint? Tech has an environmental cost

  The Arizona Republic reports research and expert analysis quantifying AI’s environmental footprint and the resource demands of data centers.

  • Main finding and announcement: Reporting highlights research (Cornell; Jegham & Li) estimating that AI growth could emit 24 to 44 million metric tons CO2 annually by 2030 and use water comparable to 6 to 10 million American households; study-level details include per-query and scaled impacts (e.g., 700 million queries/day ≈ electricity of 35,000 U.S. homes and freshwater for 1.2 million people).
  • Background and study details: The piece summarizes multiple studies and expert comments: on-site cooling and off-site power-plant water use, a measurement showing GPT-3 training used water equal to two Olympic-size pools, location-specific metrics (Arizona: 17-ounce water bottle per 16 GPT-3 queries), and recommendations from researchers (Jegham, Pengfei Li) that developers measure and improve model resource efficiency.
• Jan 17, 2026

  White House and Governors Pressure Grid Operator to Boost Power, Slow Electricity Hikes

  The White House and 13 governors urged PJM Interconnection to hold a power auction requiring tech companies to bid on 15-year contracts so data centers pay for new generation capacity.

  • Main announcement: The White House, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, joined by 13 governors, called on PJM to run an auction for 15-year power contracts that would have data center operators (not regular consumers) finance new power plants; they also asked PJM to extend a wholesale payment cap that currently limits increases through mid-2028.
  • Background and details: PJM was not invited to the event and said it will review recommendations; later PJM issued its own plan proposing a formula to cut power to large grid users (including data centers) during emergencies and to fast-track interconnection of new plants. The mid-Atlantic grid covers parts/all of 13 states (New Jersey to Illinois) and Washington, D.C., and analysts say ratepayers are already paying billions more to underwrite power supplies for some data centers (no specific dollar amounts provided in this article).
• Jan 17, 2026

  xAI’s Data Center May Have Acted Illegally as EPA Clarifies Turbine Loophole

  The EPA has clarified guidance requiring air permits for methane gas turbines used on a portable or temporary basis, a change that could mean xAI’s use of turbines at its Colossus 1 data center in Memphis may have been operating without required permits.

  • Main action: The EPA’s updated guidance requires air permits for methane gas turbines even when used temporarily or portably, closing a previous interpretation that allowed turbines to avoid permitting if not stationed in one location for more than 365 consecutive days; xAI reportedly used up to 35 methane turbines at the site and later received permits for 15 turbines (it is now operating 12).
  • Background & details: xAI began work on the Colossus 1 data center in summer 2024 at a reported cost of $4 billion; The Guardian first reported the rule change and the Southern Environmental Law Center (senior attorney Amanda Garcia) has indicated it may pursue legal action against xAI based on the EPA clarification.
• Jan 15, 2026

  PJM Dials Back Near-Term Load Outlook but Maintains Steep Long-Term Growth Trajectory

  PJM Interconnection issued its 2026 Long-Term Load Forecast on Jan. 14, 2026, trimming near-term peak-demand projections while reaffirming steep long-term growth driven by data centers and electrification.

  • Near-term adjustments: PJM reduced projected summer peak demand by 2,564 MW for 2026 (-1.6%), 4,414 MW for the 2028 summer peak used in the capacity auction (-2.6%), and 1,630 MW for the 2031 summer peak used in transmission planning (-0.8%); the 2026 update attributes near-term declines to large loads (-0.7%), economic activity (-0.5%), and EVs (-0.1%) and notes updated economic inputs from Moody’s Analytics (Sept 2025).
  • Long-term framework and scope: The report projects average annual summer peak growth of 3.6% (next decade) and roughly +85,000 MW over 15 years, formalizes a new “firm” vs “non-firm” vetting framework via the Load Adjustment Request Implementation document (published July 2025) that requires Electric Service Obligations or Construction Commitments for near-term (<=3 years) large loads, and reports adjustments across 15 transmission zones (14 influenced by data center development).
• Jan 15, 2026

  Illinois Governor Signs Wide-Ranging Energy Legislation Addressing Battery Storage, Nuclear Power, Renewables, and More

  Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA) on January 8, 2026.

  • Overview of the action: CRGA directs the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) to prepare a Storage Procurement Plan (stakeholder review and comment in 2027) and mandates an initial energy storage procurement on or about August 26, 2026 for slightly more than 1 GW, followed by additional procurements for 3 GW; CRGA lifts the moratorium on new Illinois nuclear plants over 300 MW, expands regulator authority (ICC, IPA, IFA, Illinois EPA) to develop an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), and imposes additional emissions permitting for diesel- and natural gas‑powered backup generators at data centers.
  • Background and key implementation details: CRGA requires an IRP evaluating needs over 5/10/15/20-year horizons; directs the ICC and IPA to publish an Illinois-specific ISO study by December 1, 2026 (with possible follow-up study); creates a Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program with up to $10 million worth of RECs per delivery year (program to be included in the IPA Long‑Term Plan beginning June 1, 2028 through June 1, 2035); mandates each electric public utility file an initial VPP tariff by June 1, 2026 (short‑term VPP beginning no later than June 30, 2026, with a compensation floor of $10 per kW of average dispatch), expands Project Labor Agreement (PLA) requirements and raises community solar size caps to 10,000 kW AC.
• Jan 15, 2026

  EPA drops health cost calculations for air pollution: How it could harm Detroiters

  The Environmental Protection Agency will stop calculating monetary health benefits (prevented deaths and health-care cost savings) for ozone and PM 2.5 in its rulemaking process (Jan. 9 decision).

  • Main action: The EPA announced on Jan. 9 it will stop monetizing health benefits from reductions in ozone and PM 2.5 while continuing to count industry compliance costs; the agency said it is “refining its methods” and will still consider pollutant impacts but not their monetary valuation at this time.
  • Background and related details: The change follows legal and policy battles including a 2025 finding that Wayne County failed to meet the EPA’s PM 2.5 standard, a Dec. 2025 Sixth Circuit ruling returning the Detroit region to ozone nonattainment, and concerns the change could affect auto emissions rules and emissions from natural gas turbines at data centers; related coverage notes the EPA seeks a $140 million civil penalty vs the facility’s proposed $5 million settlement in an EES Coke Battery case.