Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy meeting, September 1, 2026

When: Tue, Sep 1, 2026, 10:00 AM (Chicago time)
Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
Status: Scheduled & Published
Committee: Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy
Video: https://vimeo.com/1212089526
Transcript: full text (27,684 words, automatic captions)

Video chapters

17:03 Public comment
20:44 Rule 59 remote participation for Alder Sigcho-López
34:41 Substitute ordinance amending benchmarking code to include data centers and water usage data disclosure
37:16 Maria E. Hadden: Explained the data center benchmarking ordinance follows a Department of Environment report…
39:39 William Conway: Asked why the ordinance gives the Chief Sustainability Officer discretion over whether to…
42:26 William Conway: Said he would support the ordinance as an improvement but that administrations should not…
43:49 Maria E. Hadden: Said the substitute aimed to include data centers without reopening the entire benchmarking…
44:42 Raymond A. Lopez: Asked how many covered buildings exist and established that the Department of Water…
46:00 Raymond A. Lopez: Moved to amend the substitute so the Commissioner of Water Management shall transmit water…
48:51 Matthew J. Martin: Said he was open to the amendment but asked the department to weigh in on feasibility,…
50:34 William Conway: Clarified that the amendment would replace only the first may in subsection B with shall.
52:43 Daniel La Spata: Shared Water Management data that 910 accounts used over 1 million gallons annually, saying…
53:57 Bennett R. Lawson: Asked what types of buildings make up the roughly 3,800 covered buildings and whether…
57:06 Raymond A. Lopez: Proposed adding the City Council as a recipient of annual water usage data, then withdrew…
58:33 Maria E. Hadden: Said she questioned whether requiring water data to be sent to the City Council was…
59:17 Daniel La Spata: Asked whether the water usage data would appear in the city's open data portal and annual…
1:02:14 Daniel La Spata: Asked how data centers would conspicuously post energy rating cards, noting such cards are…
1:04:44 Bennett R. Lawson: Asked how large users such as data centers are billed for water and whether billing is…
1:09:02 Subject matter hearing on urban flooding in Chicago
2:36:44 Silvana Tabares: Said 2,705 homes in her ward reported flooding in 2025, the most of any ward, and asked…
2:39:39 Silvana Tabares: Asked what the city can do in its own budget to assist residents affected by flooding.
2:40:36 Silvana Tabares: Asked how ward offices can know when sewer cleaning is done, saying 311 requests are closed…
3:00:29 Ruth Cruz: Asked who in Water Management reviews why 311 flooding tickets are closed quickly and how staff…
3:02:01 Ruth Cruz: Asked whether flooding data is used to direct additional green alleys to the hardest-hit wards,…
3:03:42 Ruth Cruz: Asked about the McCook Reservoir's current and planned capacity and whether its 2032 completion…

Meeting notes

AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.

The Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, chaired by Alderperson Maria E. Hadden, heard five public commenters, most of whom urged action on urban flooding, green infrastructure, and support for flood-affected residents. The committee approved its July Rule 45 report and took up a substitute ordinance adding data centers to the city's benchmarking requirements, allowing mandated water usage reporting, and ending the data center exemption from public disclosure. Members adopted Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez amendment requiring the Commissioner of Water Management to transmit water usage data for covered buildings to the Chief Sustainability Officer, and Lopez withdrew a second amendment after the chair proposed separate annual reporting to the committee. The amended substitute ordinance was recommended for passage at the September 23 City Council meeting. The committee then held a subject matter hearing on urban flooding with presentations from Water Management, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, CDOT, OEMC, the Office of Budget and Management and the Department of Environment, followed by questions from members about relief funding, 311 complaint handling, green alleys and reservoir capacity.

Topics: Data center benchmarking, Water usage disclosure, Urban flooding, Green infrastructure, Flood relief funding, Sewer system capacity, Green alleys, Deep tunnel and reservoirs, 311 complaint handling

Agenda items discussed

34:21 Rule 45 report from the July 13, 2026 meeting: passed
34:41 Substitute ordinance amending benchmarking requirements to include data centers and water usage data disclosure (SO2026-0027165): passed
47:15 Amendment requiring the Commissioner of Water Management to transmit water usage information for covered buildings (may changed to shall): passed
57:06 Proposed amendment to also send water usage information to the City Council
1:09:02 Subject matter hearing on urban flooding in Chicago: discussed

Alderpersons who spoke

Maria E. Hadden (chair): Explained the data center benchmarking ordinance follows a Department of Environment report recommendation and would collect energy and water data without regulating data center operations. (37:16); Said the substitute aimed to include data centers without reopening the entire benchmarking standard that applies to other buildings. (43:49); Said she questioned whether requiring water data to be sent to the City Council was necessary, noting the Council can already compel the information. (58:33)
William Conway (alderperson): Asked why the ordinance gives the Chief Sustainability Officer discretion over whether to make water usage data public rather than requiring it. (39:39); Said he would support the ordinance as an improvement but that administrations should not have discretion over whether such data is public. (42:26); Clarified that the amendment would replace only the first may in subsection B with shall. (50:34)
Raymond A. Lopez (alderperson): Asked how many covered buildings exist and established that the Department of Water Management has not provided water usage data for any of them. (44:42); Moved to amend the substitute so the Commissioner of Water Management shall transmit water usage information for covered buildings, saying departments are working in silos. (46:00); Proposed adding the City Council as a recipient of annual water usage data, then withdrew the motion after the chair suggested separate annual reporting to the committee. (57:06)
Matthew J. Martin (alderperson): Said he was open to the amendment but asked the department to weigh in on feasibility, and suggested continued engagement before the Council vote. (48:51)
Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Shared Water Management data that 910 accounts used over 1 million gallons annually, saying knowing who these large users are is useful. (52:43); Asked whether the water usage data would appear in the city's open data portal and annual benchmarking report. (59:17); Asked how data centers would conspicuously post energy rating cards, noting such cards are hard to find on large buildings. (1:02:14)
Bennett R. Lawson (alderperson): Asked what types of buildings make up the roughly 3,800 covered buildings and whether public buildings report. (53:57); Asked how large users such as data centers are billed for water and whether billing is based on water in and water out. (1:04:44)
Silvana Tabares (alderperson): Said 2,705 homes in her ward reported flooding in 2025, the most of any ward, and asked whether the $426 million in federal funds could help 2025 victims. (2:36:44); Asked what the city can do in its own budget to assist residents affected by flooding. (2:39:39); Asked how ward offices can know when sewer cleaning is done, saying 311 requests are closed without details. (2:40:36)
Ruth Cruz (alderperson): Asked who in Water Management reviews why 311 flooding tickets are closed quickly and how staff are held accountable. (3:00:29); Asked whether flooding data is used to direct additional green alleys to the hardest-hit wards, including Belmont Cragin and Portage Park. (3:02:01); Asked about the McCook Reservoir's current and planned capacity and whether its 2032 completion could be expedited. (3:03:42)

Exchanges between members

43:49 The chair responded to Alderperson William Conway that the substitute avoided reopening the full benchmarking standard.
46:00 Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez built on his colleague's point about may versus shall in the ordinance.
48:09 The chair asked Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez to confirm the intent of his amendment.
48:47 Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez confirmed the chair's description of his amendment.
50:34 Alderperson William Conway raised a point of order to clarify the wording of the amendment.
53:29 Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez asked the chair whether the committee was voting on his motion.
57:09 Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez cited his colleague from the 1st Ward's point that information is key.
58:33 The chair questioned whether Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez second amendment was necessary and opened it for debate.
1:00:23 The chair asked Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez whether separate annual reporting to the committee would be amenable.
1:01:51 Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez agreed to the chair's suggestion and withdrew his motion.
2:36:34 Alderperson Silvana Tabares thanked the chair for making the flooding hearing a priority.
2:54:19 The chair clarified for Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez that the map showed 2023 events and the federal funds are limited to 2023 storms.
2:55:59 Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez replied to the chair that his concern was about city money used for relief, not the federal funds.
3:07:07 The chair highlighted for Alderperson Ruth Cruz the MWRD answer that rock mining drives the reservoir timeline.
3:11:10 The chair thanked Alderperson Ruth Cruz for her questions.

Documents

Sources and methods: how we get and count this data · report an error