HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) \u2014 Disdain for data centers has done something very rare: bring Republicans and Democrats together.<\/p>\n
Progressive Sen. Katie Muth (D-Montgomery) has a moratorium bill halting large-scale data centers for three years statewide. Surprisingly, two Republicans signed on.<\/p>\n
Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n \u201cIf somebody can just come in and buy up 500 acres of your town and put a giant industrial operation and just affect your property, that\u2019s a fairness issue,\u201d Muth said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s really not partisan.\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Montgomery) called it \u201ca little bit of the wild, wild west.\u201d Though she doesn\u2019t support a moratorium, her bills would require companies to bring their own power and water or pay more to upgrade infrastructure, hold at least two public meetings, and not make non-disclosure deals with public officials.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt like some of these companies were just kind of like shoving it down the local elected officials\u2019 throats,\u201d Pennycuick said. \u201cThat\u2019s not right. If the local community says no, then it\u2019s no.\u201d<\/p>\n But PA Chamber President Luke Bernstein, essentially the state\u2019s top business cheerleader, said local officials need more and better information. He\u2019s been taking groups to data centers in Virginia, not to twist their arms but to open their minds and educate.<\/p>\n Stops include Ashburn, Virginia, where Bernstein said data centers occupy 3% of the land but pay 40% of the total taxes. The ones he\u2019s toured also made no noise, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cData centers might not be for every community, but they might be for some,\u201d Bernstein said.<\/p>\n Politically, it\u2019s getting tougher by the day. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), trying to encourage business and protect communities, unveiled a set of standards known as GRID<\/a> that exchange participation for faster permitting and tax benefits for data center developers. The bipartisan pushback was quick.<\/p>\n \u201cThe GRID principles, guidelines, whatever we\u2019re calling them, are voluntary and written by industry,\u201d Muth said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s, I mean, it\u2019s reckless.\u201d<\/p>\n