Latest news with #SteveStadelman
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rockford pilot project aims to generate clean energy from Rock River
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A hydropower pilot project that will utilize the Rock River to generate electricity has received $1 million in funding from the state of Illinois. Latitude Power of Rockford partnered with design firm Studio GWA to create a pilot project that would use hydroelectric generators to create enough clean energy to supply electricity to five homes. The project will be built at the Fordham Dam, and if successful, will be expanded to generate 25kW per hour, to supply electricity to 50 homes. Lattitude plans to reach an agreement with ComEd to feed the generated electricity to the grid and offer residents a credit on their utility bills. 'There are all sorts of applications for this that will then spread out across the country,' said Lattitude's Carl Cacciatore, a retired program manager for what is now Collins Aerospace. 'Rockford will be at the center of it all.' The funding comes from the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, according to Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). 'The test program being proposed for the Fordham Dam is just the type of clean energy development we had in mind when we approved the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act,' Stadelman said. 'Rockford has a proud manufacturing tradition, and being the base for production and sales of this technology will bring jobs and could lead to wider economic growth.' The project is expected to take 18 months to manufacture and install. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmaker proposes bill that could help prevent spikes in household energy bills: 'Putting an incredible strain on the grid'
A data center reporting bill proposed by an Illinois lawmaker will monitor the amount of energy being used for the artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency boom. The Illinois suburbs have become a focus area for the data center boom, with about a dozen new projects underway. As the Daily Herald reported, a recently filed bill aims to determine how much electricity and water these data centers consume to mitigate their impact on energy costs and the climate. Data centers house computer systems used for 5G telecommunications, cloud storage, AI data processing, and cryptocurrency mining. Powering and cooling those computers requires a lot of energy, straining power grids and water resources. "As data centers continue to multiply, they are putting an incredible strain on the grid," the bill's sponsor, state Sen. Steve Stadelman, said, per the Herald. The Illinois Data Center Energy and Water Reporting Act is intended to ensure residents don't bear the brunt of rising energy costs due to this booming industry. A similar bill recently advanced in Minnesota. "We want a better sense of their water and energy usage and how it will impact costs, consumer prices, and consumption," Stadelman told Axios. Data centers are a resource hog, reportedly consuming billions of gallons of water nationally for cooling each year and using vast amounts of electricity. The United States has the most data centers in the world, with over 5,400 facilities, according to Statista. Even a mid-sized data center consumes around 300,000 gallons of water a day, or about as much as 1,000 U.S. households, NPR reported in 2022. Larger data centers, like those operated by Google or Amazon, can use up to 550,000 gallons of water per day, a University of Illinois study found. The rise of AI has only increased the demand for data centers. On average, large language models like ChatGPT use nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Do you think our power grid needs to be upgraded? Definitely Only in some states Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Cryptocurrency mining is another energy-intensive activity. A single crypto transaction can use more power than six U.S. houses consume in an entire day, according to EnergyStar. While the crypto industry has made an effort to utilize sustainable energy and implement cleaner tech, mining still largely relies on dirty energy. Experts are concerned data centers could pass these energy costs onto consumers. "Suppose those data companies can outbid everyday ratepayers for electricity generation," Sarah Moskowitz, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, said in a Capitol News Illinois report posted by Shaw Local News Network. "In that case, that is removed from the overall markets and exacerbates real or perceived energy supply shortages that drive up market prices." Energy providers are also turning to dirty fuels to make up for the shortfall, which could delay the transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels. "In Virginia, for example, they are building fossil fuel generators alongside renewables because they did not have an adequate plan to support the demand of power data centers required through renewable energy," Andrew Chien, a University of Chicago professor, explained to the Daily Herald. Data centers are here to stay, but the proposed bill could help ensure data center operators don't monopolize the water and power residents use. Under the bill, data centers in Illinois would need to report their annual water and energy consumption or face a $10,000 fine, per the Herald. Officials will analyze this data to determine if residential ratepayers are subsidizing the cost of power-hungry data centers. Efforts are being made to lower the energy required to power data centers. Ionic wind is being explored as an alternative method to cool data centers instead of water. Operators are utilizing more affordable energy to power data centers, like Google's battery-powered Arizona facility. This shift to clean energy is a move in the right direction, Chien said. "I think the right way to deal with this is to build capacity with those clean energy resources to be prepared for the growth in data centers," Chien added. "If we are prepared, we would not only attract jobs and investments. We would also do so in a way that does not increase carbon emissions." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Axios
21-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Illinois mulls pros and cons of data centers
The AI boom is reshaping Illinois, driving a wave of data center development that is straining energy systems, consuming millions of gallons of water for cooling and triggering legislation for transparency and sustainability. Why it matters: While data centers can bring temporary jobs and property tax revenue, they also come with largely unreported energy and water demands and relatively few permanent jobs. Case in point: Building a 250,000-square-foot data center employs up to 1,500 local employees for 12-18 months. But that declines to 50 full-time workers, half of them contracted, according to a 2023 state-commissioned report in Virginia, the country's data center hub. The big picture: Data centers used 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023 and could consume up to 12% by 2028, per the U.S. Department of Energy. Construction of these facilities, which house computer systems, servers and storage infrastructure, is at an all-time high, increasing 69% year over year from 2023 to 2024, per CBRE, a commercial real estate firm. They can be "hypescalers" — serving the needs of one big client — or "colocation" centers that rent out space to several companies. Zoom in: The Midwest, with its relatively cheap land, cooler temps and proximity to Great Lakes water, offers some big advantages over other parts of the country. By the numbers: The Chicago metro area hosts 154 data centers, with 222 across the state, creating about 20,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in direct labor revenue in 2023, per a data center industry-commissioned report. The state's Data Centers Investment Program dispensed more than $650 million in tax incentives between 2020 and 2023, yielding $11 billion in total investments and 469 new permanent jobs, per a state report. Yes, but:"We want a better sense of their water and energy usage and how it will impact costs, consumer prices and consumption," state Sen. Steve Stadelman, a Democrat, tells Axios. "There really hasn't been a lot of insight into this because it's still a relatively new trend." He's sponsoring Senate Bill 2181, which would require greater energy and water transparency. It's expected to be included in an omnibus energy package in Springfield next month along with another measure instituting " build your own new clean energy" provisions, or B-YONCE, for new data centers. The other side: Laurance Lewis of Metro Edge Development Partners, which works with data center projects, tells Capitol News Illinois that the legislation could be "unduly burdensome" for collocation centers with multiple clients, "whose energy and water consumption may not be metered precisely." Between the lines: Data center proponents say their growth is being driven by consumer demand, noting a Deloitte survey that shows the average U.S. household owned 21 digital devices in 2023. As companies build to meet that surging demand, energy is a "significant cost driver," so it's in their best interests to be efficient, Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition, tells Axios. What's next: State measures on data centers should become clearer in late May as bills get consolidated and modified near the end of the legislative session. What we're watching: Announcements for more data center projects. "I know that there are a number of entities that are exploring different locations in Chicago," Mayor Brandon Johnson tells Axios. "Those conversations have been relatively productive, and there's still a lot to learn to determine of ... not just the footprint, but the type of job opportunities that are provided. ... But, again, we're still looking to figure out what the footprint looks like and whether Chicago is the ultimate viable place for some of these locations."
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois allocates $19M to boost minority and women participation in skilled trades
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — As part of an effort to encourage more minorities and women to enter the skilled trades, Illinois has awarded $19 million in funding toward the effort, including a workforce development outfit in Rockford. The Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program was launched in 2021 with the goal of increasing diversity in apprenticeship programs and well-paying fields. 'The greatest resource we have is the hardworking people of Illinois, and the greatest return on investment we have is training and educating them,' said Gov. JB Pritzker. 'That's why workforce development has been a centerpiece of Illinois' economic agenda for the last six years and why we're constantly attracting high-quality jobs to Illinois—because we have the skilled workers to fill them.' The program boasted increasing Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American apprentices from 35 in 2023 to 81 in 2024, and women from 5 in 2023 to 24 in 2024. The new funding is aimed at statewide agencies that provide recruitment, screening, and skills training. In Rockford, Education Design Development and Research (EDDR), a staffing agency that fills jobs gobally, will receive $440,000 to strengthen their program. 'We are still experiencing a shortage of skilled trade workers,' said Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). 'To fill these positions and give residents a chance at a good-paying job, it's essential to support programs like Illinois Works.' According to its website, EDDR is a Woman Owned Certified Federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) headed by program managers Gloria Jai and Kimberly Prowell. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill cracking down on license plate flippers in Illinois passes Senate
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A bill outlawing license plate flippers has passed the Illinois Senate. The bill to explicitly ban license plate flippers is sponsored by State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). The flippers enable motorists to avoid tolls and identification by police when potentially violating the law with just the push of a button. Illinois House passes 'Dillon's Law' to help more people carry Epi-Pens 'Many drivers are using plate flippers to avoid tolls and police, evading the consequences of their actions on our roadways,' Stadelman said. 'Banning flipper devices is a crucial step toward keeping our roads safe and holding drivers accountable.' While driving with an obscured license plate is already illegal, the bill stops the use of tape and any other 'manual, electronic, or mechanical device' that 'hides or obscures a registration plate.' 'Everyone needs to play by the same rules of the road,' Stadelman added. 'This measure allows us to take a clear stand for public safety and responsible driving.' The bill was passed unanimously in the Senate. It now heads to the Illinois House of Representatives. Other states with similar laws include Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
