Brown pushes for data center moratorium
Senator Rosemary Brown (R-40) is advocating for a statewide moratorium on hyperscale data center development and has introduced a "Residents First" legislative package in Pennsylvania. The proposed legislation aims to implement stronger safeguards for communities by requiring utility "will-serve" letters, limiting development to industrial zones, and mandating independent water impact studies.
Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40) is intensifying her advocacy for robust safeguards against large-scale data center development in Pennsylvania, prioritizing residents and local communities amid the industry's rapid expansion. Brown, who previously introduced a "Residents First" legislative package, also supports a statewide moratorium on hyperscale data center projects, citing significant concerns from residents across northeastern Pennsylvania regarding development pace and inadequate protections.
The "Residents First" package includes several key proposals: mandating that data center developers provide "will-serve" letters from utilities to confirm full build-out capacity before formal applications are submitted; restricting large-scale data center development to zoned industrial areas; and requiring an independent, third-party water impact study and analysis prior to formal applications, with long-term follow-up. Additionally, it directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to research emerging data storage technologies and assess their long-term viability and potential environmental benefits.
Brown highlighted that local governments are often unprepared to evaluate highly technical proposals without sufficient state guidance, leading to risks of irreversible decisions without comprehensive impact understanding, a challenge already observed in Lackawanna County. While acknowledging the governor's voluntary "GRID certification" proposal for data centers, Brown asserted that residents are demanding enforceable protections, not voluntary guidelines, to ensure community interests are prioritized over external economic interests.
Emphasizing that her support for a moratorium is not anti-development, Brown stated its purpose is to establish comprehensive state protections before further projects proceed, ensuring economic opportunities and quality of life are not mutually exclusive. She stressed the importance of transparency, accountability, and a meaningful community voice in decisions with generational impacts.