Illinois Data Center Boom to Add 121,000 Jobs but Only 2,800 Permanent
A new Illinois Economic Policy Institute projection says $57 billion in data center construction could raise household power bills by about $150 a year.
Data center construction in Illinois could generate 121,000 jobs through 2035, according to a projection released by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute. The same projection puts the total investment at $57 billion, equivalent to roughly $20.2 million per permanent data center job.
After the facilities become operational, only 2,800 permanent positions would remain, the researchers estimated. Construction work would account for the overwhelming share of the employment impact.
On the cost side, the projection estimates that average Illinois residential electricity bills could rise by about $12 per month, or roughly $150 annually, assuming data centers add 6.5 gigawatts of demand by 2035. PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, has separately projected that data centers could add 10.7 GW of demand in ComEd's northern Illinois service area by 2035.
The researchers also projected that operating data centers could generate nearly $300 million in annual property taxes. Without abatements, that revenue could reduce residents' property taxes by 3% to 10%, according to the projection.
Earlier data offer a partial comparison: in 2020 and 2021, 13 data center projects generated 8,000 construction jobs, with some workers earning more than $100,000 annually. An environmental analysis cited in the policy debate estimated families across the wider PJM region could face electricity increases reaching $70 monthly by 2028.
Quick answers
How many permanent jobs would Illinois data centers create?
The Illinois Economic Policy Institute projected that only 2,800 permanent positions would remain once the facilities become operational, out of 121,000 total jobs through 2035.
How much could data centers raise Illinois electricity bills?
The projection estimates average Illinois residential electricity bills could rise by about $12 per month, or roughly $150 annually, assuming data centers add 6.5 gigawatts of demand by 2035.
How much property tax revenue could Illinois data centers generate?
Operational data centers could generate nearly $300 million in annual property taxes, which without abatements could cut residents' property taxes by 3% to 10%, according to the projection.