Illinois Weighs Rules for AI Data Center Energy

The proposed Power Act would set energy, noise and labor requirements for large AI data centers, and is not yet law.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Long, low data center building with cooling units and transformer boxes on flat prairie land under a pale autumn sky, with a distant domed capitol silhouette on the horizon. — Illinois lawmakers are weighing the proposed Power Act, which would set energy, noise, and grid-commitment requirements for large AI data centers, though the bill is not yet law. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should local communities be able to block new data centers in their area?

Illinois state representatives Robyn Gabel and Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz discussed AI legislation at a talk hosted by Inside Government on Oct. 29, 2025. The proposed Power Act, which would regulate large AI and hyperscale data centers, is described as proposed legislation, not an enacted law.

Why it matters

The discussion centers on proposed rules for energy use, noise, air quality and grid-commitment costs tied to data centers, reflecting a state-level push to address the resource demands of AI infrastructure. The bill's stated aim is to shield everyday consumers and local environments from those demands.

The source cites a figure of 72% of people opposing data centers, but does not specify the survey or the comparator. The proposed Power Act includes restrictions on energy use, noise and air quality requirements, and a mandate that data centers be built with union labor.

The players

Robyn Gabel

Illinois State Representative for the 18th District, who participated in the Inside Government talk on AI legislation.

Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz

Illinois State Representative for the 17th District, who described the Illinois Frontier AI Safety Law as a reasonable approach to creating a safe space for frontier AI.

Inside Government

The organization that hosted the talk with the Illinois lawmakers on AI legislation at Loyola.

The details

The Power Act is proposed legislation that would place requirements on large AI and hyperscale data centers, the facilities that house the computing hardware AI models run on. Its key provisions include transparency requirements about data center operations, limits on energy use, noise and air quality standards, and upfront costs tied to grid commitments, meaning the financial obligations a facility takes on to secure its share of electrical supply. Illinois is described as the first state to require third-party safety audits of frontier AI systems, meaning the most capable general-purpose AI models, with concerns about their failures to be reported directly to the Department of Homeland Security.

The Inside Government talk with the representatives took place Oct. 29, 2025.
This year, Loyola's freshman Honors Program prohibited technology in all of its classes.

The Tech Race

Illinois is described as the first U.S. state to require third-party safety audits of frontier AI systems, positioning it ahead of other states on that specific requirement. The Power Act's focus on data center energy, noise and labor rules places Illinois in an emerging state-level debate over how AI infrastructure should be regulated.

If passed, the Power Act would affect how data centers operate in Illinois, including energy use, noise and air quality rules, and union labor requirements for construction. The source does not state a timeline for enactment or effective dates.

The takeaway

Watch whether the Power Act advances through the Illinois General Assembly and what its final energy, noise and labor provisions look like. Illinois's third-party frontier AI audit requirement is another benchmark to track as other states consider similar rules.