Data center discussion dominates Friel town hall in North Coventry

State Representative Paul Friel, D-26th Dist., recently held a town hall in North Coventry, Pennsylvania, where data center proposals were the primary concern for approximately 60 constituents. Discussion centered on the rapid growth of hyperscale data centers, fueled by AI, and their substantial electricity demands, which are projected to account for 70 percent of U.S. data center energy consumption by 2030. Friel noted that this surge has introduced "chaos to the electric grid" within Pennsylvania, part of the 13-state PJM compact. Three data center proposals exist within Friel's district across North Coventry, East Coventry, and East Vincent. While a "boutique" center in North Coventry and a larger one in East Coventry appear to be stalled, a 1.3-million-square-foot facility planned for the former Pennhurst state hospital in East Vincent is still under consideration. This project has been amended to include a gas-fired power plant to meet its energy needs, and its conditional use hearing is now scheduled for April 20. Friel also highlighted that data center proposals, including eight in the Scranton area, artificially inflate anticipated energy demand, thus raising electricity prices across the region. In response to these challenges, several legislative actions are underway in Harrisburg. Friel supported HB 1834, a consumer protection bill designed to prevent data center infrastructure costs from being passed on to existing customers. He also voted for HB 2151, which aims to create a state model ordinance for local zoning regulations, initially to be drafted by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development but now amended to be overseen by the Local Government Commission due to activist objections. Furthermore, a limited-time moratorium on new data center applications is a popular concept to allow townships to develop adequate zoning. State Senator Katie Muth, D-44th Dist., intends to propose a statewide three-year moratorium. Friel expressed support for such measures, including laws enabling municipalities to enact moratoriums, though he voiced constitutional concerns about a statewide ban. He also mentioned legislation addressing environmental impacts like noise and water usage, emphasizing the multi-faceted nature of the "fight" against unregulated data center development. Meanwhile, PECO Energy is seeking a 12% increase in electric rates and an 11.4% increase in natural gas rates, partly citing the costs of providing power to data centers.