Illinois Public Radio

Statewide: The data center debate

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published April 30, 2026 at 9:44 AM CDT

Local governments across the country are having to decide if the promise of economic benefit with large scale data centers offsets environmental and consumer concerns. Several projects are proposed across Illinois, while the state already has dozens of the facilities.

We hear the arguments for and against data centers on this week's Statewide.

Also:

* A story of how a data center proposal in eastern Iowa has become the subject of a standoff between two local jurisdictions.

* Road crews and the Illinois Department of Transportation are calling for drivers to slow down and pay attention in work zones during the construction season.

* A Catholic nun, known for her advocacy against the death penalty, was in Illinois recently to mark the 15th anniversary of the state ending capital punishment.

* Ellicia Sanchez and Tharran Hobson of The Nature Conservancy discuss prescribed burns and the ecological benefits with Randy Eccles.

* This Week in Illinois History remembers when an Illinois congressman argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that African Americans were entitled to railroad accommodations equal to white passengers.

* Reporters discuss the impact an ICE facility has had on the Chicago suburb of Broadview.

* Gov. JB Pritzker talks about the evidence heard during the Illinois Accountability Commission hearings into Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area.