The decision has sparked public backlash as more of the tax burden shifts to suburban homeowners.
Tax incentives and assessment reductions are cutting nearly two billion dollars from the taxable value of data centers in just three suburbs -- Elk Grove Village, Northlake, and Franklin Park -- according to an analysis by the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Tribune.
The impact lands hardest on homeowners in the suburbs, where the tax base leans on a handful of big businesses.
Data center developers and their allies say the tax breaks are needed to operate successfully, and that the facilities still pay a significant share of property taxes.
Illinois Answers Project Reporter Alex Nitkin joined ABC7 to discuss on Saturday morning.