DEP creates statewide data center permit tracker
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection launched a public tracker showing proposed data centers and the status of their state permit applications. The tool, created at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s direction, identifies 23 confirmed projects statewide, including Amazon and QTS developments in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection launched a statewide Data Center Permit Tracker on Aug. 18 at the direction of Gov. Josh Shapiro. The map identifies confirmed and unconfirmed data center projects and shows related DEP permit applications, submission dates and review statuses. Shapiro’s executive order also requires data centers seeking state permits to comply with the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development, or GRID, requirements.
The tracker lists 23 confirmed projects statewide, including developments associated with Amazon and QTS in Luzerne County, as well as projects in Lackawanna and Schuylkill counties. DEP said the map covers state environmental permits, such as earth disturbance, stormwater, wetland and waterway authorizations, but does not track local zoning decisions or municipal permitting. Only Phase 1 of Amazon Web Services’ Salem Township project had completed its DEP review among the eight confirmed projects identified in northeastern Pennsylvania.