Shapiro signs data center order barring fast-track permitting, NDAs
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2026-05, making new data center development standards legally binding and requiring local community approval for projects. This executive action reverses a previous voluntary certification approach and removes data center projects from the state's Fast Track permitting program. Developers must now fund their own electricity infrastructure, source clean energy, and secure local approval before state sign-off.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed Executive Order 2026-05, making his Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards legally binding for data center developers across the state. The order mandates that developers secure approval from local communities, fund all costs associated with their electricity use including infrastructure upgrades, and source increasing shares of power from clean energy.
The executive action comes after the GOP-controlled Senate declined to pass GRID legislation that had cleared the House, with Governor Shapiro stating it was his only option to protect Pennsylvanians. The order effectively removes current and future data center projects from the state's Fast Track permitting program. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman criticized the Governor's move, suggesting it was a reversal of his previous pro-AI stance and that the Senate had also been working on data center regulation, including potentially allowing local moratorium decisions. Pittman emphasized the importance of data center transparency and community input.