Amendment of Municipal Code Sections 18-14-101.3 and 18-14-101.4 regarding covered buildings and related public availability of water usage data now with mandatory reporting of such data, Section 18-14-102.3 removing "data center" exception of reporting, now requiring public release of data center benchmarks and performance ratings by Chief Sustainability Officer

Votes › Environmental Protection and Energy › 49th Ward: Maria E. Hadden

• Record number: SO2026-0027165
• Type: Ordinance; category: Municipal Code Amendments
• Status: Final
• Sponsor: Maria E. Hadden (49th Ward)
• Co-sponsors (22): Walter R. Burnett (27th Ward), Angela Clay (46th Ward), William Conway (34th Ward), Ruth Cruz (30th Ward), Pat Dowell (3rd Ward), Jessica L. Fuentes (26th Ward), Jeylú B. Gutiérrez (14th Ward), Timothy R. Knudsen (43rd Ward), Daniel La Spata (1st Ward), Bennett R. Lawson (44th Ward), Nicole T. Lee (11th Ward), Raymond A. Lopez (15th Ward), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th Ward), Matthew J. Martin (47th Ward), Anthony J. Quezada (35th Ward), Julia M. Ramirez (12th Ward), Byron Sigcho-López (25th Ward), Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward), Silvana Tabares (23rd Ward), Jeanette B. Taylor (20th Ward), Andre Vasquez Jr. (40th Ward), Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward)
• Committee: Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy
• Introduction Date: Jul 15, 2026
• Final Action Date: Sep 23, 2026
• Official record: Office of the City Clerk

Roll call: Passed Sep 23, 2026

50 yea, 0 nay. On motion of Alderperson Hadden, and unsuccessful motion to reconsider by Alderperson Mitchell, the matter was Passed. Voted at the City Council meeting of Sep 23, 2026.

Yea (50): Daniel La Spata (1), Brian Hopkins (2), Pat Dowell (3), Lamont J. Robinson (4), Desmon C. Yancy (5), William E. Hall (6), Gregory I. Mitchell (7), Michelle A. Harris (8), Anthony Beale (9), Peter Chico (10), Nicole T. Lee (11), Julia M. Ramirez (12), Marty Quinn (13), Jeylú B. Gutiérrez (14), Raymond A. Lopez (15), Stephanie D. Coleman (16), David H. Moore (17), Derrick G. Curtis (18), Matthew J. O'Shea (19), Jeanette B. Taylor (20), Ronnie L. Mosley (21), Michael D. Rodriguez (22), Silvana Tabares (23), Monique L. Scott (24), Byron Sigcho-López (25), Jessica L. Fuentes (26), Walter R. Burnett (27), Jason C. Ervin (28), Chris Taliaferro (29), Ruth Cruz (30), Felix Cardona Jr. (31), Scott Waguespack (32), Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez (33), William Conway (34), Anthony J. Quezada (35), Gilbert Villegas (36), Emma Mitts (37), Nicholas Sposato (38), Samantha Nugent (39), Andre Vasquez Jr. (40), Anthony V. Napolitano (41), Brendan Reilly (42), Timothy R. Knudsen (43), Bennett R. Lawson (44), James M. Gardiner (45), Angela Clay (46), Matthew J. Martin (47), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48), Maria E. Hadden (49), Debra L. Silverstein (50)

Plain-language summary

Written by AI (claude-opus-5-5) from the ordinance text only: SO2026-0027165.pdf. AI can make mistakes; the official document always wins.

This ordinance changes Chicago's building energy and water reporting rules. Buildings that have a data center would now count as "covered buildings" that must report, and, according to the title, an exception that kept data center buildings' energy scores private would be removed so the city can release them. It also changes the rules for when the city can make a building's water usage data public.

• Large buildings (Group 1 or Group 2 covered buildings) that contain a data center would be counted as "covered buildings" under the reporting rules.
• A "data center" is defined as a space designed for high-density computing equipment, such as server racks, used to store and process data.
• The Chief Sustainability Officer may make covered buildings' water usage data public, unless an owner asks for privacy on certain grounds listed in the Code and that request is approved.
• Owners may choose to include public water usage data in their building's benchmark report, but they are not required to.
• The title says the ordinance removes the exception that blocked public release of energy benchmarks and ratings for buildings with data centers, television studios, or trading floors. It would take effect upon passage and publication.

Who: Owners of covered buildings in Chicago, especially buildings with data centers, and residents who want to see building energy and water data are affected.

Where: Citywide (City of Chicago)

Timeline

• Jul 15, 2026: Referred, City Council. The matter was Referred to Committee.
• Sep 1, 2026: Substituted
• Sep 1, 2026: Amended
• Sep 1, 2026: Recommended to Pass, Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy. The matter was recommended to Pass by controlling legislative body as substituted and amended.
• Sep 23, 2026: Passed, City Council (50 yea, 0 nay), at the City Council meeting. On motion of Alderperson Hadden, and unsuccessful motion to reconsider by Alderperson Mitchell, the matter was Passed.

Documents

• w49others - o27165.pdf (Legislation)
• SO2026-0027165.pdf (Legislation)
• SO2026-0027165 as amended in Committee.pdf (Legislation)
• SO2026-0027165 Committee Letter 9.1.2026.sep3.pdf (Committee Letter)

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