The governor’s race in Pennsylvania is expected to determine the trajectory of the state’s energy economy for years to come.
A new analysis found expanding clean energy and requiring data centers to cover their own electricity costs could save an average household more than $1,800.
Jonah Faberman, founder and CEO of Greenline Insights, said Pennsylvania ranks among the top five states for expected data center expansion.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is already taking executive action on data center affordability, and potential new legislation would build on Shapiro’s actions if passed, Faberman said.
“There’s legislation to protect ratepayers from these data centers. So in those things, in combination with each other, those are very broad protections for households. We’re talking thousands and thousands of dollars that households would save,” Faberman said.
Shapiro’s executive order directs the state to seek protections against shifting data center costs to other utility customers.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity advocates a temporary pause on all new data center development in Pennsylvania to allow more time for assessment and to relocate construction to brownfields instead of residential areas.
Garrity believes investing further in fossil fuels is the best way to address the rising need for energy, mirroring the Trump administration’s position.
Faberman said Pennsylvania’s data center pipeline is among the largest in the country.
The study examined the growing power demands from data centers and who should pay for the additional strain on the PJM region’s power grid.
State leaders have an important role to play as demand increases, Faberman said.
“These data centers, they require a lot of electricity, and it’s the responsibility of your state, local, federal government to protect you at the very least. If they’re going to allow data centers to come, then you need to be protected,” Faberman said.
The analysis found Pennsylvania businesses would also benefit from lower electricity costs, with Greenline estimating $12.5 billion in avoided costs for Pennsylvania businesses from 2027 to 2040.
The study was commissioned by Evergreen Action and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania.
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