Joliet Technology Center
Hillwood and PowerHouse Data Centers' 795-acre data center campus near Rowell and Bernhard roads in Joliet, Illinois: 24 two-story buildings totaling more than 6.9 million square feet and 1,800 MW at full use. The city council approved it in March 2026; construction is planned from early 2027 through 2032. Building trades unions, including the Will & Grundy Counties Building Trades Council and Pipe Fitters Local 597, publicly backed the project; the council approved it 8-1. The city says the developer has committed to a project labor agreement.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 1,800 MW
- Estimated cost
- $20,000,000,000
- Building size
- 6,900,000 sq ft
- Construction start
- 2027As early as 2027
- Expected completion
- 2030Up and running
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Developer
Unions
- Pipe Fitters Local 597 · Publicly supports the project · Plumbers & pipefitters
- Will & Grundy Counties Building Trades Council · Publicly supports the project · Multiple trades
Union labor was reported, but no specific union is named in the sources reviewed.
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
- Ironworkers
- Sheet metal & HVAC
- Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
- Boilermakers
- Insulators
- Plasterers & cement masons
- Roofers
- Elevator constructors
- Teamsters (drivers)
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in Will County, by trade. It is a floor, not what this project pays: data center jobs often pay above scale, and non-union survey rates can be many years old.
| Trade | Wage /hr | Overtime 1.5× | Double time 2× | Benefits /hr | Total comp /hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansUnion rate · IBEW Local 176 · effective Jun 1, 2023ELECTRICIAN: BUILDING (GRUNDY AND WILL COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $78.00 · Double time 2× $104.00 · Benefits /hr $45.01 | $52.00 | $78.00 | $104.00 | $45.01 | $97.01 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Pipe Fitters Local 597 · effective Jun 1, 2023PIPEFITTEROvertime 1.5× $82.50 · Double time 2× $110.00 · Benefits /hr $38.62 | $55.00 | $82.50 | $110.00 | $38.62 | $93.62 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Iron Workers Local 444 · effective Jun 1, 2022IRONWORKEROvertime 1.5× $71.70 · Double time 2× $95.60 · Benefits /hr $42.50 | $47.80 | $71.70 | $95.60 | $42.50 | $90.30 |
| Sheet metal & HVACUnion rate · Sheet Metal Workers Local 265 · effective Jun 1, 2024SHEET METAL WORKEROvertime 1.5× $84.53 · Double time 2× $112.70 · Benefits /hr $38.65 | $56.35 | $84.53 | $112.70 | $38.65 | $95.00 |
| LaborersUnion rate · Laborers Local 149 · effective Jun 1, 2025LABORER: GROUP 1 COMMON LABORER KANE, KENDALL, AND MCHENRY COUNTIESOvertime 1.5× $77.10 · Double time 2× $102.80 · Benefits /hr $36.94 | $51.40 | $77.10 | $102.80 | $36.94 | $88.34 |
| LaborersUnion rate · Laborers Local 75 · effective Jun 1, 2022LABORER GROUP 1 MORTAR MIXERS, HANDLING ASPHALT SHINGLES…Overtime 1.5× $71.10 · Double time 2× $94.80 · Benefits /hr $33.16 | $47.40 | $71.10 | $94.80 | $33.16 | $80.56 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Union rate · Operating Engineers Local 150 · effective Jun 1, 2026OPERATOR: POWER EQUIPMENT, GROUP 3 (BUILDING AND RESIDENTIAL) AIR COMPRESSOR-SMALL 250…Overtime 1.5× $97.43 · Double time 2× $129.90 · Benefits /hr $53.05 | $64.95 | $97.43 | $129.90 | $53.05 | $118.00 |
| BoilermakersUnion rate · Boilermakers Local 1 · effective May 1, 2024BOILERMAKEROvertime 1.5× $79.65 · Double time 2× $106.20 · Benefits /hr $38.54 | $53.10 | $79.65 | $106.20 | $38.54 | $91.64 |
| InsulatorsUnion rate · Heat and Frost Insulators Local 17 · effective Jun 1, 2024ASBESTOS WORKER/INSULATOROvertime 1.5× $82.53 · Double time 2× $110.04 · Benefits /hr $35.75 | $55.02 | $82.53 | $110.04 | $35.75 | $90.77 |
| PaintersUnion rate · Painters Local 14 · effective Jun 1, 2024PAINTER: BRUSH, DECORATOR, AND PAPERHANGER (GRUNDY, LAKE, AND WILL COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $79.58 · Double time 2× $106.10 · Benefits /hr $33.91 | $53.05 | $79.58 | $106.10 | $33.91 | $86.96 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsUnion rate · Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 11 · effective Jun 1, 2023CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER (GRUNDY AND WILL COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $69.38 · Double time 2× $92.50 · Benefits /hr $45.10 | $46.25 | $69.38 | $92.50 | $45.10 | $91.35 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsUnion rate · Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 5 · effective Jul 1, 2015PLASTERER (GRUNDY AND WILL COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $63.38 · Double time 2× $84.50 · Benefits /hr $26.65 | $42.25 | $63.38 | $84.50 | $26.65 | $68.90 |
| RoofersUnion rate · Roofers Local 11 · effective Dec 1, 2024ROOFEROvertime 1.5× $57.75 · Double time 2× $77.00 · Benefits /hr $27.23 | $38.50 | $57.75 | $77.00 | $27.23 | $65.73 |
| Elevator constructorsUnion rate · Elevator Constructors Local 2 · effective Jan 1, 2025ELEVATOR MECHANIC (DU PAGE, KANE, KENDALL, LAKE, & WILL COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $106.02 · Double time 2× $141.36 · Benefits /hr $38.44 | $70.68 | $106.02 | $141.36 | $38.44 | $109.12 |
| Elevator constructorsUnion rate · Elevator Constructors Local 15 · effective Jan 1, 2025ELEVATOR MECHANIC MCHENRY COUNTYOvertime 1.5× $92.94 · Double time 2× $123.92 · Benefits /hr $38.44 | $61.96 | $92.94 | $123.92 | $38.44 | $100.40 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Union rate · Teamsters Local 179 · effective Jun 1, 2025TRUCK DRIVER: 4 AXLESOvertime 1.5× $69.41 · Double time 2× $92.54 · Benefits /hr $0.30 | $46.27 | $69.41 | $92.54 | $0.30 | $46.57 |
- Wage:
- the hourly pay in the worker's paycheck, before taxes, at straight time.
- Overtime and double time:
- the wage × 1.5 and × 2. Federal contracts require time and a half after 40 hours a week; when double time applies (for example Sundays, holidays or after 10–12 hours) is set by each union contract.
- Benefits:
- paid by the employer on top of the wage into the worker's health insurance, pension and annuity, and apprenticeship training funds (sometimes vacation and holiday pay). Not in the paycheck.
- Total comp:
- wage + benefits for one straight-time hour.
Journeyman rates only; shift premiums and per diem are not included. Source: Davis-Bacon general wage determinations on SAM.gov.
Apprentices: rates above are for journeymen. Apprentices are usually paid a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40–60% and rising about 10 percentage points every 6 months to a year until they reach the full rate. Exact steps vary by trade and local.
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination IL20260008 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination IL20260020 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- The Herald-News (Shaw Local) (opens in a new tab)shawlocal.com · News
- The Real Deal (opens in a new tab)therealdeal.com · News
- Patch (opens in a new tab)patch.com · News
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (IL) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination IL20260008 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination IL20260020 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- The Energy Mag (opens in a new tab)backend.theenergymag.com · News
- CBS Chicago (opens in a new tab)cbsnews.com · News
- WGN-TV (opens in a new tab)wgntv.com · News
- Construction Owners (opens in a new tab)constructionowners.com · News
- City of Joliet (opens in a new tab)joliet.gov · Government filing
Found an error on this page? Report a correction (opens in a new tab)