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Chicago establishes regulatory safeguards for data centres
Executive Order signed by mayor Brandon Johnson strengthens protections against air and noise pollution and requires enhanced review of proposed developments.
At a glance
Who: City of Chicago.
What: Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an Executive Order establishing a set of regulatory safeguards related to data centres.
Why: To strengthen Chicago’s approach to data centre development while expanding protections for clean air, clean water, affordable energy, and the health and quality of life of Chicago residents.
When: The Executive Order was signed on 11 August.
Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an Executive Order establishing a set of regulatory safeguards related to data centres, a dedicated Data Centres Task Force to implement a holistic, long-term strategy.
He is also calling for a temporary data centre moratorium.
Data centre development
The Executive Order initiates a coordinated effort across City departments to strengthen Chicago’s approach to data centre development while expanding protections for clean air, clean water, affordable energy, and the health and quality of life of Chicago residents.
“Chicago will not allow unchecked development to strain our water supply, drive up energy costs, or compromise the health of our communities,” said Johnson. “We are open to innovation and investment, but it must be done responsibly, transparently, and in partnership with the people most affected. This Executive Order ensures we are prepared to set strong standards that protect our residents first while still allowing for thoughtful, sustainable growth in a safer, more affordable Chicago.”
This Executive Order consists of both immediate protective measures and concerted efforts designed to produce sustainable, meaningful change. As one of the first steps, the Johnson Administration will work in partnership with the City Council to advance legislation establishing a temporary moratorium on new data centres and the material expansion of existing facilities.
“We are open to innovation and investment, but it must be done responsibly, transparently, and in partnership with the people most affected”
The City said a temporary moratorium is essential to ensure that no new data centre development moves forward under an outdated regulatory framework while the City completes “the deliberate, transparent, and comprehensive work” of adopting the modern protections Chicagoans deserve.
The Executive Order establishes enhanced standards and provides for departmental enforcement while the City Council considers a temporary moratorium. Once a moratorium is enacted, the Executive Order’s interim review provisions will give way to the Council’s legislative action, allowing the City to focus on developing permanent regulations that protect Chicago’s neighbourhoods, infrastructure, and natural resources.
To that end, this Executive Order ensures:
- Enhanced evaluation of air pollution control permits to reduce harmful emissions from diesel backup generators
- New, data-centre-specific rules for regulating noise produced by cooling equipment, generators, and other mechanical systems
- A cross‑departmental review process for planned developments that include data centres, assessing electricity demand, water use, generator impacts on noise and pollution, air emissions, noise, cumulative environmental burdens, and neighbourhood effects.
Chicago is home to approximately 39 data centres, most of which were built under regulatory frameworks that did not adequately address the scale, energy intensity, and resource demands of today’s facilities. Modern data centres can place significant pressure on electricity grids and water systems while also contributing to localised noise and air quality impacts. As this industry continues to expand, the City is asserting a more coordinated and protective approach to future siting and development decisions.
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The Interdepartmental Data Centre Environment and Community Protection Task Force created by this Executive Order will collaborate on a longer-term approach that ensures Chicagoans do not absorb disproportionate environmental, energy, or infrastructure burdens. Co-chaired by the mayor’s chief sustainability officer and chief of policy, and with representatives from the Departments of Buildings, Environment, Planning and Development, Technology and Innovation, and Water Management, and other City agencies, the group will implement the recommendations of the Sustainable Data Centres Working Group to update regulations and create stronger standards for future data centre development.
"Any time you build something, it is imperative to consider the impacts on the community that lives, works, and plays around it. With data centres of the past, those impacts were smaller, but modern data centres often place undue burden on their neighbours,” said Chicago’s chief sustainability officer and Department of Environment commissioner Angela Tovar. “With mayor Johnson’s Executive Order, we can implement stronger protections to ensure that any new data centre is evaluated thoroughly and, in the long term, that all data centres provide true benefit to the communities around them.”
Built upon the policy recommendations made by the City’s Sustainable Data Centres Working Group in its July 2026 report, this Executive Order recognises that data centres are part of Chicago’s broader innovation economy and can contribute to job creation and technological growth. At the same time, it affirms that future development must meet clear public-interest standards and demonstrate responsible use of shared resources.
Kate Johnson, North America director of the C40 Cities network, explained that in June, Chicago joined 40 other global cities to launch the Global Urban Data Centres Pact, a shared commitment to ensure any future expansion delivers cleaner energy, lower costs, and healthier communities for all.
“Mayors around the world are on the frontlines of managing the impacts of data centre development on communities,” she said. “By signing this Executive Order, Mayor Brandon Johnson is showing what it looks like to turn the principles of the Pact into concrete local action. C40 looks forward to supporting Chicago’s Data Centre Task Force and helping other city leaders to similarly protect their residents and resources.”
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