In 2020 ILLINOIS had 140 data centers, mostly in Chicago and NW suburbs but also Champaign, Bloomington, Peoria, Springfield, etc. The first of the modern data centers was in 2002 nationwide. Prior to 2025 Nationwide there were no complaints about the thousands of data centers nationwide.
There were a few complaints in 2025. There were more complaints in 1 month of 2026 than in all of 2025.
Why? Who is behind creating the Luddite fear of the new?
By 2026 the number in IL doubled. Pritzker &Co has given them “incentives” which is another word for welfare to data centers. The IL taxbase is leaving IL for TN, TX, GA, FL. Each data center on the edge of the loop pays $10 million or more in property taxes. IL is trying to keep that tax base by subsidizing it. Does that make sense?
Texas, etal do not offer the same subsidies.
The Chicago Board Options Exchange is now a data center in Secaucus, New Jersey, as is the New York Stock Exchange in Mahwah, New Jersey. NASDAQ's main data center is in Carteret, New Jersey. There are no signs, noise, visitors. The data centers have been there for years, are just big quiet buildings not bothering anybody. Few envy-possessed nutballs even know about them.