Representative Ann Williams today joined CBS News Chicago to discuss the hearings she is leading in Springfield regarding the impacts of data centers in Illinois. As data centers expand nationwide, the Illinois House is holding hearings to better understand the effects of these new developments on the communities in which they are built.

“We’re really trying to focus on people and make it community-centered,” Rep. Williams told CBS. The hearings held in Springfield have focused on effects on ratepayers, the potential effects on the state’s power grid, and the potential for increased water usage as a result of data center demands.

Rep. Williams is hosting these meetings in Springfield in her capacity as Chair of the House Executive Committee. The goal of the hearings, Rep. Williams explained, is to fully understand the effects of data centers on people and communities, and eventually “moving forward a package of guardrails that will protect Illinois ratepayers, that will make sure we keep our air and water clean, and that we do this responsibly.”