Will Guzzardi
DemocraticQ1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?
I’m a strong supporter of the POWER Act, which will require data centers to bring their own electricity, meaningfully engage local communities, mitigate their water usage and environmental damage, and be transparent and accountable to the state. I also supported an end to the state’s tax incentive for data centers, which the Governor paused in his most recent budget.
Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?
There’s no substitute for the federal research funds that have driven American innovation for nearly a century. We need Congress to act to restore these vital funds. We’re on the cusp of tremendous, life-changing breakthroughs in energy, healthcare, and other areas; it’s exactly the wrong time to step down our commitments to research.
Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?
I was proud to be the House sponsor of the Climate Displacement Act to address this very question. We’ve created a task force to study the effects of climate change on Illinois, including and especially on our agriculture. The group will provide us recommendations for legislative action — and it’s going to be informed by climate scientists and academics in the field.
Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.
I think we don’t have good enough pathways for this! I’m very interested in learning from you about how the scientific community can help us bring a science-informed perspective to our policymaking. Mostly I depend on the experts and organizations that have a lobbying presence in Springfield — I try my best to defer to their expertise when issues come before the GA.
Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?
I’ve been in communication with the Department of Public Health about this issue a little. They’re trying to use all the tools they have to promote vaccines and make people feel comfortable with them. It’s hard in the maelstrom of misinformation in which we live today to get that message through. Again I’m interested in your ideas about how I can be a better messenger for these ideas.