Big Tech is coming to Illinois, and we’re not ready. The rapid expansion of data centers could derail our climate goals, pollute communities and strain already-stressed water resources.

Illinois has worked hard to position itself as a clean energy leader and recently passed the Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability Act to accelerate renewable energy development. But data centers pose a serious threat to that progress while also jacking up electricity rates for everyday Illinoisans.

Recognizing this, Gov. JB Pritzker recently proposed a two-year pause on the data center tax credit while we assess their impact on skyrocketing electricity prices. This is a welcome step in the right direction. Next, we must pass legislation that will truly protect Illinoisans.

The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition recently introduced the POWER Act to do just that.

Every time a large energy user connects to the grid, it draws power and drives the need for new infrastructure, raising costs for everyone else. In northern Illinois alone, data centers have already applied to use 28 gigawatts of energy, while we only have around 24 gigawatts of peak power available. This is early days. In no time, data centers will be seeking nearly double our current power capacity.

The POWER Act proposes a commonsense solution: require data centers to pay 100% of the costs they impose on the grid. If a private corporation’s operations require expensive new infrastructure, Illinois ratepayers shouldn’t be stuck with the bill. Data centers must pay their fair share.

Unchecked growth also threatens Illinois’ climate commitments. Massive new electricity demand risks prolonging the life of expensive coal plants or spurring new methane gas facilities — locking in decades of additional carbon pollution. The POWER Act embraces a smarter path, built around the principles of Bring Your Own New Capacity and Clean Energy (BYONCCE), which ensures new data centers bring clean power online. Projects that do the right thing will be prioritized, giving data centers an incentive to bring more solar, wind and battery storage projects to our grid.

Communities are also struggling with where and how data centers are being built. In many cases, loose zoning rules intended for warehousing have allowed data centers to locate next to homes. These facilities rely on large diesel generators for backup power, posing serious noise and air quality concerns.

Water use may be the least understood but most alarming impact of data centers. A single data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day, according to a recent Alliance for the Great Lakes report. While closed-loop cooling can reduce withdrawals, many questions remain: where the water comes from, how much is lost to evaporation, and what is discharged back into local waterways.

This level of consumption could devastate farms, households and communities that rely on well water. Heavy withdrawals from sole-source aquifers like the Mahomet Aquifer in east-central Illinois risk depleting resources that millions of Illinoisans depend on. Lake Michigan water is equally important, and increased withdrawals will threaten drinking water and the entire lake ecosystem.

Without strong guardrails, large corporations have repeatedly shown they will exploit public resources for private gain, with families and small businesses footing the bill. Now, as Big Tech companies accelerate data center construction at an unprecedented rate, Illinois must ensure it does not sacrifice clean air, affordable energy and safe water in the process.

Technology can help solve big problems, including climate change, but that requires oversight. Illinois has a choice: react after harm is done, or lead the nation with clear, enforceable standards that protect communities and natural resources while still welcoming innovation.

Jen Walling is CEO of the Illinois Environmental Council.