SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Lakesia Collins held a Senate Revenue Subject Matter Hearing Wednesday to discuss Data Centers Investment Program support for minority-owned data centers.

“By hearing from local businesses we can learn what works and what will support them for a future in Illinois,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “We want to spur growth in the data center sector and create new jobs and opportunities for resident.”

Data centers in Illinois who are awarded grants through the Data Centers Investment Program spoke during the subject matter hearing. Data center owners and operators are provided with a tax credit of 20% of wages paid for construction workers for projects located in underserved areas.

To continue support for data centers, Collins introduced Senate Bill 227, proposing an additional 5% income tax credit added to the existing data center construction employment tax credit if businesses meet the criteria. If a businesses is located within an R3 Community, or they are eligible for the Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Social Equity Program, or they are minority-owned, women-owned, or person with a disability-owned business, they would be eligible for the tax credit.

The credit is based on the taxpayer’s investment in qualified tangible personal property used in constructing or operating the data center.

“This hearing affects hundreds of residents across the state employed by the growing data sector Illinois wants to continue to support,” said Collins. “Data centers have created so many jobs for communities in the Chicago-area and I am proud to support their growth and development, and hearing from them today sheds light on the support they need to succeed.”

Collins looks forward to continuing the discussion and seeking answers for how to best support growing businesses here in Illinois.

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