Pennsylvania is at an important crossroads. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies is driving unprecedented demand for data centers, bringing the potential for investment, jobs, and economic growth across the Commonwealth. I am not opposed to data centers or the innovation they support, but I believe their development must be guided by smart, responsible regulations. For Pittsburgh and communities across Pennsylvania, that means protecting residents, safeguarding our water and electric resources, limiting impacts on neighboring communities, and ensuring that taxpayers are not left to shoulder unnecessary costs. We can welcome technological progress without giving large technology companies a blank check, and we can make sure that the communities hosting these projects have a meaningful voice in how they move forward.
These facilities can require enormous amounts of electricity and water and can have significant impacts on the communities around them. The companies building them should be expected to contribute to the communities where they operate and to account for the infrastructure and resources they use. Families and small businesses should not see their utility bills increase because large technology companies are expanding their operations. At the same time, residents deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that could affect their neighborhoods, quality of life, and local resources.
That is why I support a more responsible approach to data center development. Before taxpayers provide incentives, or communities are asked to accommodate these facilities, companies should have to demonstrate that they are bringing real benefits to where they locate. They should also be held to clear standards for their use of electricity and water and for the impacts that their operations have on neighboring communities.
We also need to make sure that local governments have the tools they need to guide development. A community in western Pennsylvania might have very different circumstances from a community elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Decisions about where these facilities belong, how they should be designed, how much noise they can produce, and what equipment they can operate should not be dictated by a one-size-fits-all approach from Harrisburg.
I support legislation that would give municipalities more time and authority to evaluate major data center proposals, including a moratorium period while appropriate safeguards are developed. I also support creating model local ordinances that communities can use when establishing standards for issues such as noise, siting, equipment and building design. When state incentives are involved, we should ask whether they are still even necessary — or whether they simply subsidize projects that would happen anyway.
These are reasonable expectations, not an effort to stop innovation. Pennsylvania can compete for the jobs and investment associated with the technology economy, while still insisting that growth be done the right way.
Unfortunately, too many of these commonsense protections have stalled in the Senate. I will continue working with my colleagues and advocating directly to Governor Shapiro for action. Where the administration has the authority to protect consumers, strengthen accountability, and ensure responsible development, it should use it.
The choices we make today will shape Pennsylvania’s energy system, communities and economy for decades. We should not make those decisions based solely on how quickly we can approve the next project. We should ask whether these projects benefit the communities that host them, protect our resources, and make sense for Pennsylvania families and businesses. We can embrace innovation and investment while making sure that growth comes with accountability and that Pennsylvania communities are not left paying the price.
