Local
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce has been watching two local issues with great interest.
- Data Center – The Naperville City Council voted down a scaled-down proposal for a data center on the former Lucent property adjacent to the I-88 corridor. The action taken by the city council may result in a revised proposal. It may also result in litigation initiated by the petitioner.
- IMEA – The council has scheduled a hearing on the IMEA contract issue for their next meeting on Tuesday, February 3rd at 7:00 PM. As has been discussed here before, the council will need to make decisions about the future of their municipal electric service.
The Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) is a not-for-profit organization of 32 municipal electric systems throughout the state to which Naperville belongs. To better plan future demand and to incorporate more alternative energy into their portfolio, the IMEA is asking member cities to extend the length of their contracted involvement. The long-term commitment has drawn concern from some, especially among hardline environmental activists who advocate for an immediate net-zero carbon energy supply (IMEA currently relies on a mix of energy sources with a plan to be net-zero by 2050).
As a business community, we have a responsibility to advocate for an electric delivery system that prioritizes reliability and provides predictable and affordable costs.
State
Our partners at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce have released their legislative agenda for the spring session.
NACC is in support of the state chambers’ efforts to:
- Prioritizing Childcare and Workplace Incentives – Illinois employers continue to cite childcare access as a major influence on workforce participation and employee retention. We encourage lawmakers to prioritize childcare and benefit optionality as a workplace incentive and reform that incentivizes Illinois employers to provide these critical services to their workers.
- Advancing Illinois’ Energy Future and Workforce – Reliable, affordable energy is foundational to economic growth. We urge support for policies that preserve energy choice, maintain strong workforces, and embrace an “all of the above” strategy that recognizes the long-term impacts of recent major energy legislation. As implementation of CEJA continues, it is vital to evaluate how we will meet future demand with sufficient supply while keeping costs low and predictable for businesses and consumers—all the while, continuing to explore opportunities to advance the growing clean energy sector.
- Reforming Business Licensing and Permitting – Businesses across the state consistently express their concerns with lengthy and unpredictable licensing and permitting processes. We encourage Illinois state agencies in charge of business licensing and permitting to move toward a “24-hour state” model using modern, interactive online systems to improve customer service and reduce unnecessary delays that hinder business development. Following this strong national model will make Illinois a more business-friendly state and allow for increased transparency.
- Prioritizing AI and Quantum Education in our K-12 Schools – The next generation of learning and working has arrived. Over the past few years, we have seen an explosive growth in the development and adoption of new technology tools by all generations. The business community will help meet this moment by introducing legislation that encourages curriculum to be adopted that prepares students for careers of the future, whether it deals with AI or quantum computing.
- Establishing an Insurance Cost Advisory Task Force – Creating an Insurance Cost Advisory Task Force is a proactive initiative to help the industry and stakeholders outline the real cost-drivers for property and casualty insurance in Illinois and better inform a holistic approach to any legislative discussion around rates. Prolonged Inflation (including its significant impact on materials and labor), severe weather patterns in Illinois, and many more factors are relevant to these conversations. This proposal provides an informed and rational response to the ongoing public efforts to impose new and costly regulations on this important industry in our state.
- Creating Reasonable Paid Leave Reforms – We continue to hear concerns from employers regarding the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, particularly from small businesses and industries with non-traditional scheduling models. We encourage thoughtful adjustments that consider the challenges faced by small businesses and provide the flexibility needed for companies with unique operations and shift structures.
- Improving our Legal Climate – Illinois’ legal climate and, at times, expansive tort policies, remain a barrier for companies evaluating whether to expand or invest here. Reasonable, targeted legal reforms can improve predictability and reduce excessive litigation costs.
- Improving Housing Availability and Affordability – Housing availability is now a core economic issue. A shortage of affordable housing is limiting community development and harming local labor pools. Working with our industry partners, we support state and local initiatives that expand housing supply, encourage innovative types of development, and use modest tax credits to make projects financially viable.
- Supporting the Innovation Economy – To remain a national leader in the technology sector, we encourage lawmakers to support policies that strengthen the innovation economy while exercising caution on measures that may unintentionally slow the adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, and data-driven tools that modern businesses, especially small businesses, increasingly rely upon.
Federal
Amid threats of another government shutdown, the U.S. Chamber is working on several common-sense, pro-business issues.
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce recently signed a letter urging Congress to prioritize and pass bipartisan, comprehensive permitting reform legislation as early this year as possible.
NACC supports the effort to provide a modernized, efficient, predictable, and transparent permitting process—one that provides the project certainty needed to secure investment, unlock economic growth, and foster innovation that creates opportunity and a stronger future for families and neighborhoods.
The House of Representatives has led the way in a bipartisan manner by passing several important permitting reform bills at the end of 2025. . Now, the Senate must build on that momentum and deliver meaningful reform that benefits families and communities nationwide.
Across the country, communities and businesses are ready to invest in projects that will strengthen our economy and improve quality of life—from expanding broadband access and upgrading transportation networks, to building innovative energy facilities that will provide new sources of power to meet growing demand, and modernizing drinking water systems. But too often, outdated and inefficient permitting processes stand in the way, delaying these investments and driving up costs.
These delays not only increase the financial burden of construction due to inflation and rising material and labor costs but also postpone the critical benefits that new and improved infrastructure brings to communities. Families and businesses are left waiting for safer roads, better public transit, improved drinking water access, more affordable energy, and access to high-speed internet—essentials that drive economic growth, improve public health, and enhance quality of life. Improving permitting processes will empower businesses and communities to invest in and deliver the infrastructure needed to address today’s challenges.
A modernized permitting system will help build smarter, faster, and more sustainably. We urge the Senate to work across the aisle to enact durable legislation now, reflecting the urgency and opportunity that currently exists.