A.I./Data Center Policy

— Inquirer Editorial: The Language Of ‘Opportunity’ Surrounding Shale Gas Fracking And A.I. Data Centers Sounds Distressingly Familiar As PA Joins Rush To Latest Promised Economic Boom  [PaEN]

— PA Council Of Trout Unlimited Issues Policy Statement Calling For Responsible Development Of A.I. Data Centers, Adopting PennFuture’s Model Zoning Ordinance  [PaEN]

— PA Environmental Council In Case You Missed It In September – Is PA Ready For An A.I. Data Center Boom?  [PaEN] 

Direction

— SW PA Data Centers Working Group: Webinar On Demand- Big Promise or Big Problems? Ethical Considerations for the AI Boom  [Presentation Slides, Webinar Q/A ]

— Penn State Extension Hosts Dec. 11 Webinar: A.I. Data Centers In Pennsylvania – Why Here?  Why Now?  [PaEN] 

— Data Center Knowledge: Pennsylvania’s $70 Billion Race For A.I. Data Centers; State Banking On Massive Natural Gas Reserves To Attract Development

A.I./Data Center Impacts

— The Center Square: A.I. Data Centers And Water – The Next Frontier 

— Chesapeake Bay Journal: How Could A.I. Data Centers Impact Air Quality? 

— PennLive Letter: Gov. Shapiro’s Natural Gas Claims For A.I. Data Centers Don’t Hold Water – By Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition 

— Indiana University Of PA News: Students Lead Campus Conversation On Impacts Of Proposed Homer City 3,200 Acre A.I. Data Center Complex In Indiana County 

Legislation

— PA House Members Announced 6-Bill Legislative Package To Promote Responsible Development Of A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

— The Center Square: PA House Members Play Catch-Up With Rapid A.I. Data Center Development

— Capitol Wire – Robert Swift: Proposed Senate Bills Aim To Increase State Oversight Of PJM Electric Grid Operator

— Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Lawmaker Rep. Matzie Seeks Study Of Costs Of Leaving PJM Electric Grid Operator  [PDF of Article]  

Land Use

— Inside Climate News – Jon Hurdle: PA Community Groups Urge Officials To Restrict A.I. Data Center Development; More Than 20 Data Centers Proposed In PA

— Post-Gazette/Inside Climate News – Jon Hurdle: PA Community Groups Urge Officials To Restrict A.I. Data Center Development

— Spotlight PA/Inside Climate News – Jon Hurdle: A.I. Boom Sparks Battle Over Giant Data Centers In Pennsylvania Towns

— PA Capital-Star/Inside Climate News – Jon Hurdle: PA Community Groups Urge Officials To Restrict A.I. Data Center Development

— Observer-Reporter: 1,400 Acre A.I. Data Center Project, Dedicated 910 MW Natural Gas Power Plant, 18 Million Gallon A Day Water Treatment Plant Announced By Essential Utilities In Greene County [PDF of Article] 

— DEP Invites Comments On Homer City Generation Chapter 105 Permit Covering Permanent Loss Of 441 Feet Of Stream To Develop Part Of A.I. Data Center Campus In Indiana County  [PaEN] 

— TribLive: A Guide To Upcoming Springdale A.I. Data Center Hearings In Allegheny County

— TribLive: Developers Of A.I. Data Center In Springdale Offer First Testimony To Council In Allegheny County

— Utility Dive: PJM’s Market Monitor Urges FERC To Review Amazon Data Center’s Effect On Costs, Reliability In PECO Service Area

— Scranton Times: Pompey Coal, Settler’s View, Lackawanna Energy Center Natural Gas Power Plant Appeal Jessup A.I. Data Center Zoning Ordinance   [PDF of Article] 

— WNEP: Montour County Residents Concerns Over Talen Energy Rezoning 1,400 Acres Near Montour Preserve For A.I. Data Center

— LancasterOnline: Here Are The New Rules Proposed For A.I. Data Centers In Lancaster City  [PDF of Article]  ​​

— LancasterOnline: Lancaster A.I. Data Center’s 2nd Phase Expected To Cost Up To $2.5 Billion [PDF of Article]

— PennLive: Middlesex Twp. Municipal Authority Says It Can Supply 400,000 Gallons Of Water A Day To Proposed A.I. Data Center In Cumberland County

— Scranton Times: Amazon A.I. Data Center Campus Construction In Salem Twp. On ‘Rapid Pace’ In Luzerne County [PDF of Article] 

— Inquirer – Frank Kummer: Plan To Turn Old Pennhurst State Hospital Into A.I. Data Center Outrages Neighbors In Chester County

PJM Grid

— Spotlight PA: How Gov. Shapiro Wants To Reshape PJM Regional Grid Operator As Prices Rise

— 17 PA Republican Senators Urge PJM To Reject Prioritizing Ready To Deploy Wind, Solar Energy Projects When Demand For Power Is Surging;  Fail To Address Locking Up Existing Generation For Exclusive Data Center Use  [PaEN] 

— PUC Chairman Stephen DeFrank Elected Vice President Of Organization Of PJM Grid Operator States 

— Utility Dive: PJM’s Market Monitor Urges FERC To Review Amazon Data Center’s Effect On Costs, Reliability In PECO Service Area

— Inside Climate News: PJM Grid Operator Pursues Rule Change To Meet A.I. Data Center Surge, Critics Fear Natural Gas Suppliers Would Benefit From Fast-Track Process

— Utility Dive: Investor-Owned Electric Utilities Call For Ending ‘Overreliance’ On PJM Capacity Market

— The Center Square: Leaving PJM Grid Operator A Solution For Surging Electricity Prices Or Power Move? 

— Utility Dive Guest Essay: PJM Customers Will Benefit From Cooperation, Not Conflict Within The Electric Industry – By Terry Fitzpatrick, Fmr Chair PA Public Utility Commission  

— Morning Call Letter: PJM Must Be Transparent In Decisions On Energy Prices, A.I. Data Centers – By Dominic Trabosci

A.I. Power Needs

— 17 PA Republican Senators Urge PJM To Reject Prioritizing Ready To Deploy Wind, Solar Energy Projects When Demand For Power Is Surging;  Fail To Address Locking Up Existing Generation For Exclusive Data Center Use  [PaEN] 

— Tribune-Democrat: New US Policy Pulls Back From Renewable Energy Just As Demand Swells  [Part I]  [PDF of Article]

— Warren Times Observer Guest Essay: Natural Gas, A.I. Data Centers And The Future Of Pennsylvania’s Economy – By Kurt Knaus, PA Energy Infrastructure Alliance [PDF of Article]  

— The Derrick: New Energy Demands From A.I. Data Centers Takes Center Stage At Drake Energy Dialogues [PDF of Article] 

— Post-Gazette – Anya Litvak: Pittsburgh Region’s Nuclear Power Industry Preps For An A.I.-Driven Renaissance

— PennLive Guest Essay: Why Letting Utilities Build Power Plants In PA Is A $16 Billion Mistake To Meet A.I. Data Center Demands – By James H. Cawley, Fmr Chair PA Public Utility Commission

— Wall Street Journal: A.I. Data Centers, Desperate For Electricity, Are Building Their Own Power Plants [PDF of Article] 

— Financial Times: Energy Companies To Spend $50 Billion On 8,800 Miles Of New Pipelines In US To Fulfill A.I. Data Center, LNG Gas Export Demands

— Solar Energy Industries Assn.: President’s Efforts To Prevent Clean Energy Deployment Have Blocked 125 Gigawatts Of Solar Power From The Grid Just When Demand Is Surging, Driving Up Electricity Prices

— E&E News: President’s Energy Policies Are The Energy Emergency In The US [Blocking Gigawatts Of Much-Needed Clean Power For Grid]  

— AP: Solar, Wind Power Has Grown Faster Than Electricity Demand This Year, Report Says [President Cancelling Clean Energy Funding Blocks Gigawatts Of Power For Grid]

— Bloomberg: JP Morgan: US Can’t Generate The Power It Needs Without Wind, Solar

A.I. Policy

— WITF: Lancaster County A.I. Fake Photo Moves Lawmakers To Push Changes In Mandatory Reporting Law

— Beaver Times: PA Lawmakers Want To Block A.I. Chatbots From Harvesting Consumer Data

— York Daily Record: A.I. Robots Are Now Sorting Your Recyclables At Penn Waste’s Facility

— York Daily Record Editorial: Gannett Media Partnered With A.I.-Powered Answer Engine Perplexity; Here’s Why It Matters For Local News

— Inquirer: A.I. Industrial Revolution Has Begun, History Suggests It Won’t Be Positive For The Middle Class

— Financial Times: Despite Threats From High Tariffs, Collapsing Immigration, Eroding Institutions, Rising Debt, Sticky Inflation, Investors Believe A.I. Will Save US Economy

Upcoming Events

— October 22– House Energy Committee holds hearing on regulation of A.I. data centers by the Public Utility Commission.  Room G-50 Irvis Building. 11:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.

— November 19– Penn State Extension Webinar: A.I. Data Centers And Water Resources, Noon to 1:00 p.m.

— ON DEMAND: SW PA Data Centers Working Group: Webinar On Demand- Big Promise or Big Problems? Ethical Considerations for the AI Boom  [Presentation Slides, Webinar Q/A ]

[Posted: October 19, 2025]  PA Environment Digest