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Tag: electric bill

  • More data centers coming to Illinois as residents complain about noise, electric bills: What to know

    AURORA, Ill. (WLS) — Data centers are moving in. They power everything from streaming services to artificial intelligence, but critics say they are noisy and can jack up your electric bills.

    Now, the I-Team and ABC News are finding that more than 3,000 data centers are already operating nationwide, with at least 1,000 more planned. Some are in the Chicago area.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    Companies point to economic benefits, but residents are raising concerns about noise and power usage.

    When David Szala moved into his Aurora home in 2015, he knew he was by a data center.

    “You can hear it as soon as you walk out. Fans, just constant with the noise,” Szala said.

    But in recent years, the CyrusOne data center campus has expanded significantly.

    Szala and his neighbor, Bryan Castro, both say they hear cooling fans all day and night, and sometimes, generators create more noise.

    “You feel it in your bones,” Szala said.

    Castro says the buzzing bounces through his backyard, which looked a lot different when he moved there in 2007.

    “You can feel the vibrations in the house,” Castro said. “This was 25 acres of nothing but forest.”

    Neighbors say CyrusOne put up a sound recorder to monitor noise levels and erected walls, but both residents ABC7 spoke with said the walls do not help much.

    “The noise doesn’t drop down and get stopped. The noise radiates from above,” Castro said.

    CyrusOne told the I-Team the noise issue is unique to their Aurora location, and it apologizes “for the impact this situation has had on our neighbors in Aurora. We take responsibility and are well underway with a three-phase engineering project.” The company says additional rooftop sound walls and other noise reduction equipment are on schedule for completion and “we anticipate continued improvement in sound levels.” The city of Aurora also says these steps should help.

    There is also a concern over the rising cost of electric bills.

    “Our electric bills this past year are probably 50% higher than they’ve been years past,” Castro said.

    CyrusOne says it understands that higher energy bills are a concern and it “pays for all electricity we consume at rates established through Illinois’ regulatory framework,” and that it takes steps with utilities to “protect households from cost volatility” and “moderate costs over time.”

    Illinois watchdog group Citizens Utility Board says the cost of improving the infrastructure for data centers can get passed on to consumers.

    “Some of them use a decent amount and some use massive amounts of electricity,” said Citizens Utility Board Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz. “The way that our power system is regulated, you have to build infrastructure, and then, it takes decades to pay it off.”

    Moskowitz continued, “What if the data centers don’t show up, or what if they are there for only a short period of time? Or, what if they don’t use as much electricity as they said? Then, they’re not going to be able to pay that off. And the rest of the customers, those of us who’ve been here, are left holding the bag.”

    ABC7 has also been covering public meetings over proposed data centers, and there are questions about water use and the environment.

    The I-Team and ABC News studied a private company’s Data Center Map and found that there are at least 4,302 data center projects across the U.S., large and small. Of those, 3,038 are currently operational, with another 1,203 either under construction or planned for construction. Sixty-one have acquired land.

    In Illinois, there are 164 operating data centers, with another 81 planned for construction. The largest state project planned is in Yorkville. It would be 2 Gigawatts, and according to ABC7 data team, would use the same energy that would power approximately 1.7 million homes. That’s more than every home in the city of Chicago.

    Industry experts say the facilities are needed for modern digital infrastructure and can benefit the economy.

    “So, for poor communities that specifically need a big increase in tax revenue, data centers are really good for that. They’re really not very good for jobs. They create a lot of construction jobs, and then a few additional maintenance jobs. But they create very few jobs relative to the resources that they use,” said Effective Altruism DC Director and artificial intelligence expert Andy Masley.

    The Illinois Pollution Control Board says that there have been no noise enforcement proceedings for data centers in the entire state, in 2025, and there are no open cases right now.

    “They have to build these things to support what’s going with computers, but they need to keep them away from neighborhoods,” Castro said.

    Illinois state legislators recently introduced a bill that could require data centers to reveal how much water and energy they are using. The bill could also limit the amount of energy costs passed on to consumers.

    You can watch more on “Data Land USA: AI on overdrive next door” on Tuesday morning on “Good Morning America” and throughout the day on ABC News.

    Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

    Jason Knowles

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  • How an Ice Battery Could Lower Your Electric Bill

    Every night some 74,000 gallons (280,000 liters) of water are frozen at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The hospital used to get all of its air conditioning from a conventional system found in most U.S. buildings, but now 27 tanks of ice sustain a network of cold-water pipes keeping operating rooms at safe temperatures and patients comfortable.

    This type of thermal energy storage, also known as ice batteries, is being added to buildings in the U.S. for its ability to provide cool air without releasing planet-warming emissions. These systems cut electricity usage and lower the strain on the grid. With rising temperatures and the growing demand for electricity in the U.S., ice thermal energy storage offers a sustainable option for cooling buildings.

    Trane Technologies, a company that makes heating and cooling equipment, says it has seen a growing demand for this technology over the past few years. Its ice batteries are mostly used in schools as well as commercial and government buildings. Nostromo Energy, another company that makes ice batteries, is pursuing customers among energy-intensive data centers that have high cooling demands. Smaller systems are also made for homes by companies such as Ice Energy.

    Tanks of ice thaw to create air conditioning

    Ice thermal energy storage technology varies between manufacturers, but each follows a similar concept: At night when electricity from the grid is at its cheapest, water is frozen into ice that thaws the next day to cool the building. The ice chills water that is circulating through pipes in the building, absorbing heat from the rooms and creating a cooling effect. Air cooled by the system is then pushed through vents.

    Norton Audubon Hospital uses a Trane ice battery system. Trane said its ice batteries are often used alongside traditional air conditioning, and the ice-based cooling is used to lower energy costs during peak demand times. The traditional AC components are typically left in place or downsized when ice batteries are added.

    The stored ice doesn’t require energy to thaw, which reduces the strain on the grid and minimizes the building’s electricity usage, ultimately lowering monthly bills.

    “Storing energy for further uses is where we’re going with the future of the grid,” said Ted Tiffany, senior technical lead at the Building Decarbonization Coalition. He said access to air conditioning is a major public health need that is being exacerbated by a warming planet, and ice batteries are a sustainable way to address health risks associated with extreme heat.

    Energy costs at Norton Audubon were $278,000 lower for the first year the ice battery system was in operation after it was installed 2018. The hospital estimates that the system and other energy-saving measures have saved it nearly $4 million since 2016.

    “The technology has been awesome for us,” said Anthony Mathis, a Norton Healthcare executive who oversees sustainability. He said he receives inquiries from other building operators about the technology and thinks more facilities will adopt it as awareness grows.

    Using ice to meet growing energy demands

    Experts on sustainable energy say ice thermal energy storage is among the options commercial buildings can use to reduce electricity demand or store excess energy. Some commercial buildings use lithium batteries, which can store excess solar or wind energy that are available intermittently.

    Dustin Mulvaney, environmental studies professor at San Jose State University, said ice batteries are a sensible option for health care settings and senior homes because lithium batteries can pose a fire risk.

    Manufacturers also see opportunities in data centers, which are increasing in number to support artificial intelligence and have high energy and cooling needs. A December report from the Department of Energy found that data centers consumed more than 4% of the electricity in the country in 2023 and that number could grow up to 12% by 2028.

    “Data centers are very energy-hungry and about 30% to 40% of their energy use is for cooling … that’s where a solution like ours could really help,” said Yoram Ashery, CEO of Nostromo Energy.

    Nostromo Energy said it is discussing deals to install its systems with several large data center operators, but declined to provide further details. Its ice battery technology is also used at the Beverly Hilton hotel in California.

    California is currently the biggest market for this technology because the grid there uses a lot of solar power during the day but switches to polluting energy sources such as natural gas after the sun sets. Ice batteries can be used for air conditioning in the late afternoon and evening instead of drawing from the grid.

    “A lot of utilities are really interested in this type of load-shifting technology,” said Joe Raasch, chief operating officer at Ice Energy, another ice thermal energy storage company. He said summer is typically the most expensive time for utilities to operate because of the air conditioning demand.

    “It’s really great technology that the grid really needs because so much of the future electric load is driven by cooling,” said Raasch.

    This story was first published on Oct. 7, 2025. It was updated on Oct. 8, 2025, to correct that Nostromo Energy’s technology is installed at the Beverly Hilton hotel, not the Beverly Hills Hotel.

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

    Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Associated Press

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  • Gov. Newsom issues executive order aimed at lowering electric bills

    Gov. Newsom issues executive order aimed at lowering electric bills

    With Californians angry about their skyrocketing electric bills, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Wednesday aimed at giving them some relief.

    The governor’s order directs the state Public Utilities and Energy commissions to find ways to try to lower power bills in the future, or at the minimum to stop them from rising so quickly.

    Among the actions he asks for is a closer review of how utilities are spending money to stop transmission lines from sparking wildfires. State officials say those wildfire mitigation costs now make up about 13% of customers’ monthly electric bills.

    “We’re taking action to address rising electricity costs and save consumers money on their bills,” Newsom said. “California is proving that we can address affordability concerns as we continue our world-leading efforts to combat the climate crisis.”

    The governor issued the executive order days before Tuesday’s election, in which kitchen-table economics is a top concern.

    California now has the second-highest electric rates in the country after Hawaii. Residential customer bills have risen by as much as 110% in the last decade.

    In just the past three years, bills for customers of the three biggest for-profit utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — have increased by 20% to 50%. Those most recent rate increases were reviewed and approved by Newsom appointees at the state public utilities commission.

    The executive order is just one of Newsom’s recent moves aimed at reducing soaring energy costs. In August, he and Democratic lawmakers released a suite of energy-related bills just days before the legislative session ended. That same month the governor ordered lawmakers to return to Sacramento for a special session to debate a bill that would require oil refineries to increase gasoline reserves in an attempt to prevent price spikes at the pump.

    The governor’s staff say Newsom is committed to the state’s ambitious climate goals, which include having 100% clean electricity by 2045. But he has become concerned as electric rates have risen to cover the cost of the state’s fast construction of solar farms and other renewable power, they say.

    Newsom’s executive order asks his administration to look for “underperforming or underutilized programs” that are paid for by electric customers that could be ended. It says any unused money in those programs should be returned to customers.

    In addition, the order asks the state’s Air Resources Board to determine how the California Climate Credit could be increased. Most Californians’ get the credit twice a year on their electric and gas bills. The credit is funded by the state’s cap-and-trade program, which attempts to reduce harmful emissions.

    The order also directs the state Public Utilities Commission to pursue all federal funding opportunities that could reduce electric costs.

    An early plan by Newsom’s office for the executive order that was reviewed by The Times asked the public utilities commission to look into alternative ways of financing the building of electrical lines and other infrastructure. Currently, building infrastructure is a key way for utilities to boost their profits because they bill the cost back to ratepayers over many years, tacking on annual interest that is typically 10.5%.

    Consumer groups say that lowering this rate could result in significant savings for customers.

    The governor’s executive order released Wednesday didn’t include that provision. His staff said the directive to find other ways of financing infrastructure wasn’t included in the executive order because it would require legislative statutes to be changed.

    In August, Newsom backed away from an earlier plan he had to lower the infrastructure interest rate after criticism from the big utilities and electrical workers’ union, according to a report by the Sacramento Bee.

    Melody Petersen

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