Legislative Roundup: Brown pushes for data center moratorium, says governor’s proposal falls short
Pennsylvania State Senator Rosemary Brown is advocating for a statewide moratorium on hyper-scale data center development and has introduced a "Residents First" legislative package to mandate stronger protections, including utility confirmation and water impact studies. This comes as Rep. Craig Williams also pushes for the Pennsylvania Electricity Ratepayer Protection Act, aiming to prevent data center infrastructure costs from burdening ratepayers and requiring data centers to provide their own generation.
State Senator Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe County) is renewing her call for a statewide moratorium on hyper-scale data center development in Pennsylvania, arguing that Governor Josh Shapiro's voluntary "GRID certification" proposal for data centers is insufficient. Brown has introduced a "Residents First" legislative package, which seeks to implement stricter safeguards such as requiring data center developers to provide "will-serve" letters from utilities, limiting large-scale data center development to zoned industrial areas, and mandating independent, third-party water impact studies prior to application.
Separately, Representative Craig Williams (R-Delaware/Chester) and House Republican Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) are advocating for the Pennsylvania Electricity Ratepayer Protection Act. This legislation aims to reverse rising electricity costs by preventing data center infrastructure expenses from being passed on to ratepayers. It proposes requiring hyper-scale data centers to construct their own electricity generation, pay the full cost of their grid connections, and enable utilities to enter long-term power purchase agreements for ratepayers, aligning with principles of "Bring Your Own Generation" and "Pay Your Own Way."
Both legislative efforts highlight concerns from residents and lawmakers regarding the rapid expansion of the data center industry in Pennsylvania, its potential strain on existing infrastructure, environmental impacts, and the burden on utility costs for residents. The Electricity Ratepayer Protection Act is currently awaiting consideration in the House Energy Committee.