* From yesterday…

[Jim Sweeney, president of Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers] is all-in on data centers. He said they’re an AI-driven trend so vast that Illinois will need 40% more electricity just to run data centers on the drawing board now.

40 percent more electricity? The governor has said he’s been monitoring data center power usage, so I asked his office for a response.

* From Gov. JB Pritzker…

While I can’t speak to the specific number being referenced without seeing the full report, based on projections I have seen 40% growth in the coming years is likely the upper bound rather than the expectation. As high-tech, high-growth industries continue to move and expand in Illinois, the demand for clean electricity is certainly going to grow. Though we cannot predict the precise patterns of energy consumption, we can continue to take steps to rapidly develop and deploy clean energy infrastructure to accommodate booming industry and economic growth.

Since day one as governor, I’ve made it a priority to meet that moment and advance solutions to meet our growing energy needs while fighting climate change. In the three years since we passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, we’ve closely monitored the current and projected resources of our state, including 5,400 MW of new renewable energy under development through subsidies, as well as Renewable Energy Credit Procurements. Not to mention, there are a multitude of new clean energy projects advancing without the need for state support — further signaling the rapid growth we expected. I’m working consistently with fellow Governors to push the grid operators for Illinois to improve their process for connecting new generation to the grid. We’ve also continued to regularly engage with industry stakeholders and advocates to determine best practices and identify the economic impacts of high energy usage as we all adjust to this new reality.

Thoughts?