Panel discusses how energy demand from data centers nationwide will impact Pennsylvania

A new report titled 'The High Cost of AI: How Data Centers are Reshaping Pennsylvania’s Energy Landscape,' produced by the Clean Energy Group, Clean Air Council, and Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, indicates that Pennsylvania's generated energy will be exported to power data centers in surrounding states, including Virginia, which has the highest concentration of data centers nationally. The report, discussed at the University of Scranton, warns that this rapid load growth, coupled with insufficient data and a fossil fuel-dependent energy system, will impose significant financial and environmental burdens, including degraded air quality, on Pennsylvanians. Eva Morgan, project manager for the Clean Energy Group, highlighted PJM, the largest regional electricity market, as heavily relying on Pennsylvania and West Virginia for energy exports. The discussion at the University of Scranton underscored serious environmental and public health concerns. Projections from the report suggest that data center energy demand could contribute an additional 24 to 44 million metric tons of CO2 to the atmosphere by 2030, potentially leading to a $20 billion public health burden by 2028 and an estimated 600,000 asthma cases and 1,300 premature deaths annually nationwide. Josephine Gingerich, Health Advocacy Outreach Coordinator for Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, noted the lack of specific long-term health studies on data centers but referenced extensive research on pollutants from diesel, gas-fired power plants, and fracking infrastructure. Strong local opposition to data center development was evident, with numerous Archbald residents attending the discussion to express their concerns regarding six proposed data center campuses in their borough, a battle that has been ongoing for a year. The panel also addressed the likely increase in electricity bills for residents due to system upgrades allocated across all ratepayers. Furthermore, State Senator Katie Muth is sponsoring a three-year moratorium on data centers, co-sponsored by State Senator Rosemary Brown, signaling a legislative initiative to pause development amidst these growing concerns.