Pennsylvania Adopts New Data Center Water and Power Reporting Requirements
Pennsylvania's 2026-27 state budget includes new regulations requiring data centers to report their exact water and power usage to the state. Additionally, PJM, the electric grid operator, must now provide state regulators with more detailed energy demand forecasts. These measures come as data center proposals are under consideration across 33 of Pennsylvania's counties.
Pennsylvania's newly passed 2026-27 state budget, enacted on July 12, includes significant provisions affecting data center operations and energy grid oversight within the commonwealth. A key measure mandates that all data centers operating in Pennsylvania must now report their precise water and power consumption to the state. This regulatory change aims to provide state authorities with greater transparency and data regarding the environmental and resource impact of data center facilities.
In tandem with this, PJM, the entity managing the electric grid for Pennsylvania, is now required to offer state regulators enhanced insights into its energy demand forecasting. This is intended to improve planning and ensure the grid can adequately meet future energy needs, including those from energy-intensive data centers.
The article also provides an update on data center development across Pennsylvania, noting that as of early August, Centre County had no proposed data centers, but neighboring Clearfield, Mifflin, and Union counties each have one under consideration. Across the state, 33 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties are proposed sites for data centers, with Lackawanna County leading with 15 projects in the planning stages.