Shaw Local asked all four candidates in the 76th Illinois House District race the same question: “How should the state address rising energy costs from data centers? How do you balance water rights between communities and industry regarding data center development?”

On the surface, their answers share common ground: residents shouldn’t pay for data centers’ energy and water demands. But the candidates diverge on how much state oversight is warranted and how to weigh economic development against community protection.

The shared principle: make data centers pay their share

All four candidates – Democrat Amy “Murri” Briel, the incumbent; write-in Democratic challenger Tyler Thompson; and Republican primary candidates Crystal Loughran and Liz Bishop – agree that data centers should not shift their costs onto ordinary residents.

Thompson put it plainly: “Citizens should not pay a price of any kind when data centers are built.” He said data centers and industries should pay a premium on water and energy use, and face financial penalties if they negatively affect local populations or the environment.

Bishop echoed that sentiment, writing that large users of energy and water “should be required to pay their fair share, invest in efficiency, and contribute to infrastructure upgrades so costs aren’t shifted onto residents.”

Loughran: local control and a five-point framework

Loughran offered the most detailed response, laying out a five-part framework. She called for impact studies before any data center is approved, opposed special energy subsidies that could raise residential rates, and said local governments, not Springfield, should decide whether and where data centers are built.

On water, Loughran was direct: “Community needs — drinking water, agriculture, fire protection — must come first.” She said data centers should be required to use water-efficient cooling systems where feasible, fund infrastructure upgrades, and comply with locally set withdrawal limits. “Springfield should not override local water authorities or sacrifice residents for corporate development,” she wrote.

Briel: Start with data and ask hard questions

Briel focused on accountability and scrutiny before development proceeds. She called for mandatory reporting requirements on data centers’ water and energy usage to monitor efficiency, and said the state should examine how many long-term jobs a data center would actually bring to a community before granting access to local resources.

“We should question how beneficial these data centers are to our communities before implementing them,” Briel wrote. Her response was the only one to specifically raise the question of long-term job creation as a threshold consideration.

Bishop: residents first, growth second

Bishop’s response was the most concise among the Republican candidates. She said local communities “must have a seat at the table” and that water rights and utility capacity should prioritize residents before large-scale industrial projects are approved. “Economic development works best when growth is responsible, sustainable, and doesn’t come at the expense of the people who already live and work here,” she wrote.

The race

The 76th District covers parts of the Illinois Valley region and DeKalb. Briel, the Democratic incumbent, faces write-in challenger Thompson in the Democratic primary. Loughran and Bishop are competing in the Republican primary. The winners of the March 17 primary will face each other in the November general election.

Note on methodology: This article includes summaries of candidate questionnaire responses generated with the assistance of an artificial intelligence tool. Journalists on our team reviewed, edited, and verified all summaries for accuracy and fairness before publication.