Pennsylvania’s AI boom is repeating old patterns of exploitation
A new report by Data & Society warns that Pennsylvania's expanding data center industry risks repeating historical patterns of community exploitation, environmental harm, and limited job growth. The report highlights concerns over land, water, and energy use, and notes significant public opposition across the state, including a successful rezoning denial in Montour County. State Senator Katie Muth has introduced a bill proposing a three-year moratorium on data center development in response to these concerns.
A recent report by the research group Data & Society suggests that Pennsylvania's burgeoning data center industry, which could see 66 new facilities built, shows little evidence of promised job growth and risks repeating historical patterns of industrial exploitation. The two-year study concluded that data centers demand vast quantities of land, water, and energy, with the state's industrial "residual assets" making it particularly attractive. The report criticizes "AI boosters" for using industrial nostalgia and nationalist fervor to mask what it calls a "power grab" at the expense of local communities.
The study highlights significant public opposition to data center projects across Pennsylvania, citing concerns over worsening climate change, threats to public health, and undermining local democracy due to a lack of transparency from developers. Lead author Maia Woluchem noted that this resistance echoes, and potentially surpasses, past opposition to industries like fracking. An example of successful opposition occurred in Montour County, where community group Citizens of Montour County secured a rare victory by having county leaders deny a rezoning application for a data center on farmland.
Environmental advocates are calling for legislative action. David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, urged state legislators to enact a moratorium on data center development to allow time to address the industry's environmental, financial, and public health dangers. State Senator Katie Muth has already introduced a bill proposing a three-year moratorium. Conversely, the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Petroleum Institute defended the industry's energy demands, suggesting that Pennsylvania's natural gas reserves could reliably power new data centers while reducing carbon emissions.
The report's findings on public opposition are anticipated to influence upcoming midterm elections, with former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection secretary David Hess predicting that environmental and community activism will compel politicians to pay closer attention to these concerns.