Shapiro signs executive order for strict requirements on data centers
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2026-05, imposing strict new requirements on data center proposals. This order mandates that data center developers make legally binding commitments to meet the Governor's GRID Requirements and secure local approval before commonwealth agencies, like the Department of Environmental Protection, can evaluate their permit applications. The initiative aims to block speculative projects, empower local communities, and protect residents from potential negative impacts on the environment and utility bills.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed Executive Order 2026-05, introducing strict new requirements for data center developments across the commonwealth. The executive order, signed on August 18, 2026, directs all commonwealth agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to only evaluate permit applications from data center developers who have made a legally binding commitment to meet the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Requirements and have secured local approval for their projects.
Governor Shapiro stated that the new requirements are a direct response to concerns raised by Pennsylvania residents regarding the potential impacts of data center development on their communities, the environment, and utility bills. He emphasized that the order is designed to block speculative and irresponsible data center projects, while giving local communities greater control over where such facilities are built. The Governor's message to developers is clear: adherence to these strict requirements and securing community approval are prerequisites for state support.
This move aims to ensure that data centers, often developed by large corporations, operate as