Illinois Data Centers Pay $140M in Taxes
The payments come as data centers drive rising statewide electricity rates and lawmakers weigh new legislation.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Data Centers
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A University of Illinois Climate Jobs Institute report found data centers in DeKalb, Aurora and Elk Grove Village paid more than $140 million in property taxes between 2022 and 2024. The findings are based on a university report, not a deployed policy change, and the facilities described are operating now.
Why it matters
Data centers are a main driver of rising statewide electricity rates in Illinois, and the report raises questions about how the tax and power costs of these facilities are shared. Illinois lawmakers are expected to consider new data center legislation during the veto session.
The figures come from a University of Illinois Climate Jobs Institute report covering three communities over 2022 to 2024, with the $140 million total combining property taxes paid by all three sites. Meta's DeKalb facility accounted for more than $46 million of that total, while the report does not publish comparable water or energy usage data.
The players
University of Illinois Climate Jobs Institute
A university research body that examined data center tax payments, employment and community impacts in three Illinois communities.
Meta
A social media and technology company whose DeKalb, Illinois data center generated more than $46 million in property tax revenue.
The details
Data centers draw large amounts of electricity to run servers and cooling equipment, and the cost of supplying that power is spread across the regional electric grid rather than assigned only to the facilities that use it. As more facilities come online, that shared cost structure is one reason residents in communities without data centers could see higher electricity bills. Property taxes flow to local governments, which is how a single facility like Meta's in DeKalb can help fund a new elementary school.
Timeline
Between 2022 and 2024, data centers in the three communities paid more than $140 million in property taxes.
Illinois lawmakers are expected to consider new data center legislation during the upcoming veto session.
The Tech Race
Illinois is weighing how to balance data center tax incentives against electricity costs and transparency, a question that is playing out as the facilities expand across the state. The report's community-level figures give lawmakers concrete numbers to weigh as they take up data center legislation in the veto session.
Residents across Illinois may see electricity bills rise as data center demand grows on the shared regional grid, and the timing and size of any increase has not been announced. Residents in communities such as Aurora, which reported a constant humming noise from nearby facilities, may also notice the effects of living near these sites.
The takeaway
Watch the veto session for any Illinois data center legislation that addresses electricity cost allocation and public disclosure of water and energy use. Those provisions would indicate whether the transparency gaps identified in the report will be closed at the state level.
What happens next
Illinois lawmakers are expected to consider new data center legislation during the veto session, where questions about electricity costs and transparency could be addressed at the state level.
Further reading
For broader context on how these facilities are reshaping power demand, see Data Centers coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRSP.
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