House Advances Data Center Pause Bill to Expand Local Control
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved House Bill 2496, legislation allowing municipalities to temporarily halt data center applications for up to six months while updating local zoning rules. The bill addresses concerns over rapid data center expansion and their energy/water usage, providing local governments with more control over industrial-scale developments. It now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed bipartisan legislation, House Bill 2496, which would empower municipalities to impose a temporary pause of up to six months on data center applications. This pause would allow local governments to update their zoning and land-use ordinances in response to the rapid expansion of energy and water-intensive data centers across the state.
Sponsored by state Rep. Paul Friel (D-Chester), the bill passed the House and is now headed to the state Senate. Friel emphasized that this "pause window" provides local officials with crucial time to research, draft, and enact comprehensive regulations, considering factors like water and energy usage and potential community harms. Co-sponsors, including state Reps. Kyle Mullins (D-Lackawanna), Kyle Donahue (D-Lackawanna), and Chris Pielli (D-Chester), highlighted the need for stronger local oversight, transparency, and the ability for communities to make informed decisions before approving large-scale projects.
Supporters argue the measure closes a loophole in Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code, which currently offers an inadequate and limited process for halting development. The bill aims to prevent a "race to file" by developers and ensure that industrial-scale developments do not outpace the logic and safety of local zoning regulations. The legislation specifies that the pause would take effect upon public notice of the municipal meeting agenda, making subsequent applications subject to any newly adopted local rules.