April 5th, 2026

The Honorable J.B. Pritzker
Governor of Illinois
401 S. 2nd St.
Springfield, IL 62701

Dear Governor Pritzker, 

On behalf of Climate Jobs Illinois, the Illinois AFL-CIO and the hundreds of thousands of  working men and women of labor in our ranks, we write to express concern about the  proposed pause on the Illinois Data Center Investment Tax Credit program outlined in your  FY2027 budget address. 

Under your leadership, Illinois has made tremendous progress attracting major industries  and strengthening our economic competitiveness. Your administration’s focus on  advanced manufacturing, clean energy, life sciences, and emerging technologies like  quantum computing has helped move Illinois up significantly in national business rankings  while also creating pathways to high-quality union jobs to bring these proposals to life. 

Data center development is increasingly part of that economic and energy future. These facilities represent billions of dollars in private investment, thousands of union  construction jobs, and long-term opportunities for Illinois workers across the building  trades, electrical sector, and energy infrastructure workforce.  

Data centers also drive demand for the kind of large-scale energy development — including nuclear, renewable energy, transmission, and emerging technologies like long duration storage — that will be essential for Illinois to meet both its climate goals and its  growing electricity needs. 

The growth of this emerging digital economy has created a new kind of infrastructure needs. Illinois has an opportunity to meet the demand and build that infrastructure here — with union labor and strong standards — or watch it move to neighboring states. 

Since the passage of the Illinois Data Center Investment Program in 2019, Illinois has  attracted billions in investment and established itself as a major national data center hub.  That investment has supported thousands of construction jobs and generated significant  tax revenue for local communities and the state.

For Illinois communities, this kind of investment can also have a meaningful impact on  affordability. Expanding the commercial and industrial tax base helps generate new  revenue for local school districts and municipal services while easing the property tax  burden that falls on homeowners and small businesses. In many communities, projects of  this scale can provide a stable long-term revenue stream that supports classrooms, public  safety, and local infrastructure. 

However, investment in this sector is highly mobile and increasingly competitive. States  across the Midwest and Sun Belt are aggressively positioning themselves to attract data  center development, often with fewer regulatory barriers and greater policy certainty. A  pause in Illinois’ incentive program risks sending a signal that investment should go  elsewhere at a time when our neighboring states are actively competing for these projects. 

Equally important, the labor standards tied to the Illinois Data Center Investment Tax  Credit are currently the only mechanism ensuring that data center development in Illinois  comes with strong workforce protections. If the tax credit is paused or eliminated without a  replacement framework in place, Illinois would have no enforceable labor standards for  this sector—leaving the door open for developers to build major facilities using non-union,  out-of-state labor. That would undermine the very workers and communities this  investment is meant to benefit. 

At the same time, we recognize the legitimate policy questions surrounding emerging  technologies, including artificial intelligence and the use of biometric data. Illinois has long  been a national leader in protecting privacy through the Biometric Information Privacy Act  (BIPA), and those protections are important. As policymakers consider ways to ensure  Illinois remains competitive for data center investment, we believe it is essential that any  discussions about modernizing BIPA proceed thoughtfully and carefully, maintaining  strong consumer protections for individuals while providing clarity and predictability that  allows responsible investment and infrastructure development to move forward. 

In other words, Illinois should not have to choose between protecting privacy and building  the infrastructure of the future. 

Rather than pausing the Data Center Investment Tax Credit program, we respectfully urge  your administration to work with labor, industry, the General Assembly, and other  stakeholders to identify a balanced path forward that: 

  • Preserves Illinois’ competitiveness for data center investment 
  • Ensures projects create strong union construction and infrastructure jobs
  • Supports the build-out of electricity generation and grid infrastructure necessary to  power these facilities
  • Maintains Illinois’ leadership in protecting the privacy and rights of its residents 

Illinois can lead in bringing the digital and energy infrastructure to Illinois. With the right  policies in place, we can ensure that this growth supports good union jobs, strengthens  our energy system, and benefits communities across the state. 

We appreciate your leadership and stand ready to work with your administration and the  General Assembly to ensure Illinois continues to be a national leader in innovation, clean  energy development, and job creation. 

Sincerely, 

Tim Drea, President
Illinois AFL-CIO

Pat Devaney, Secretary Treasurer
Illinois AFL-CIO

Bob Reiter, President
Chicago Federation of Labor

Mike Macellaio, President
Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades

Bill Niesman, President
IBEW Illinois State Conference

James M. Sweeney, President – Business Manager
International Union of Operating Engineers – Local 150

Thomas McGrath, Business Manager
Heat and Frost Insulators Local 17

James Gardiner, President
Ironworkers District Council of Chicago & Vicinity

David Beard, President
Ironworkers District Council of St. Louis & Vicinity

Don Finn, Business Manager
IBEW Local 134

Terry Healy, Vice President & Great Lakes Regional Manager
Laborers’ International Union of North America 

Kevin McLaughlin, Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council  

David Frye, Vice President & Midwest Regional Manager
Laborers’ International Union of North America 

William M. Allison, Executive Director
Illinois Pipe Trades Association

Karl Goeke, President
Illinois Education Association

Joe Duffy, Executive Director
Climate Jobs Illinois

Cc: Senate President Don Harmon
Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch
Leader John Curran
Leader Tony McCombie