Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order directing state agencies to require all data center proposals to comply with new environmental guidelines.
Kevin Rist
Pennsylvania is clamping down on AI data center development in what Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is touting as the “strictest guardrails” in the country.
“We have a long history in Pennsylvania of industry running roughshod over our communities to make a buck,” Shapiro said during an Aug. 18 announcement. “That stops with me.”
The new rules are contained in an executive order, a move Shapiro said he had to take after the Republican-controlled state Senate failed to pass legislation from the Democratic House that would have enacted those standards.
The order incorporates the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) requirements, which were first announced in February as voluntary criteria to follow in exchange for fast-track permitting. The new order makes those standards mandatory.
Collectively, the new actions require developers to:
Bring their own power sources for new data centers and pay all costs tied to that electricity. That energy must increasingly come from renewable sources, reaching up to 32% in 2035.Receive local approval for their projects before the state Department of Environmental Protection will review their permit applications, including those for water withdrawals and wastewater usage.Create community outreach plans that highlight public input in the approval process.Begin submitting annual energy and water consumption reports by July 2027.
The state will also be creating a database of projects currently under review and banning non-disclosure agreements. Fast-tracking is off the table, including projects already in the permitting pipeline.
Industry representatives have balked at the governor’s rules, saying they threaten to undermine billions of dollars in planned investments throughout the state.
State officials say approximately 100 data center projects are in some form of development in the state right now.