Legislation Would Allow Pause For Data Centers
A Pennsylvania Senate committee has advanced a House Bill that would empower municipalities to implement a temporary six-month moratorium on AI data center proposals. This legislation follows the striking down of a previous statewide three-year moratorium, aiming to balance local control with future legal scrutiny.
A Pennsylvania Senate committee has advanced House Bill 2496, which seeks to grant municipalities the authority to enact a temporary six-month moratorium on artificial intelligence data center proposals. This development comes after a prior statewide three-year moratorium on data center proposals was struck down.
Delegate Paul Friel stated that the bill aims to achieve a balance between respecting local control, promoting thoughtful planning, and ensuring the legislation can withstand the inevitable legal challenges from the industry. The proposed bill allows local governments to pause consideration of new data center projects.