Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity on data centers, calls for construction pause
Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity is calling for a pause on data center construction across the state, citing concerns about community protection, zoning updates, and environmental impacts. She is critical of Governor Josh Shapiro's past handling of a major Amazon data center deal and emphasizes the need for transparency. This stance contrasts with President Trump's more bullish view on data center development.
Pennsylvania Treasurer and Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity is advocating for a pause on all data center developments across the state, a stance that follows Governor Josh Shapiro's executive order placing significant restrictions on new data center construction. Garrity's position contrasts with President Trump's endorsement of data center development for economic growth and job creation.
Garrity clarified her call for a "pause," explaining that it aims to give local governments, including township supervisors and county commissioners, time to update zoning regulations and protect communities and ratepayers. She emphasized the need for data centers to be built on brownfield sites, avoiding precious farmland, and criticized the lack of transparency and community involvement in previous projects, specifically mentioning an Amazon deal where she alleged the company was not required to bring its own energy or water and received "sweetheart tax breaks."
She also highlighted Governor Shapiro's receipt of over $5 million in political contributions from out-of-state data center developers. Garrity believes that a temporary pause would allow Pennsylvania to establish appropriate safeguards, ensure proper infrastructure, and position the state as a national AI and tech hub by responsibly integrating data centers into its energy grid, rather than detracting from it.