Shapiro says data center executive order gives more power to communities

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed an executive order establishing what he calls the "strictest data center guardrails in the country," aimed at giving local communities greater control over data center developments. This move comes as residents across Pennsylvania, including Big Beaver Borough, voice strong opposition to proposed data center projects, citing concerns about noise, pollution, water usage, and potential increases in electricity bills.

The order, while not a moratorium, mandates minimum standards for data center companies, requiring them to pay for their own energy, minimize noise, air, and water pollution, hire local workers, and enter into negotiated benefit agreements with communities. Governor Shapiro emphasized that if these standards are not formally agreed to with the municipality, "the state will back the town in blocking the data center," stating, "If the local community doesn't approve a project, the state won't approve it either."

In Big Beaver Borough, residents are opposing a Las Vegas developer's plan to convert a 400-acre former racetrack into a 600,000-square-foot data center complex by Switch Data Centers. The borough's planning committee is scheduled to hold its first review of Switch's application later this month. Rachel McGrail, a local resident, expressed the sentiment that if conditions are not met, the town should have the power to reject the data center. The governor's action has sparked a political reaction, with Republican Stacy Garrity accusing Shapiro of "flip-flopping," noting his past support for data centers and significant campaign donations from out-of-state data center interests.