Committee votes on Sen. Brown’s statewide data center moratorium amendment
Pennsylvania Senator Rosemary Brown proposed a three-year statewide moratorium on hyper-scale data center construction, citing concerns about energy, water, and environmental impacts. Her amendment was rejected by the Senate Local Government Committee. However, the committee advanced two other bills that would allow municipalities to voluntarily implement temporary pauses or update local ordinances regarding data centers, and a separate bill was supported by Rep. Jim Haddock to require data centers to pay property and sales taxes.
Pennsylvania State Senator Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe County, introduced an amendment to establish a three-year statewide moratorium on hyper-scale data center development, expressing concerns that state laws have not kept pace with the industry's rapid growth and its impact on energy demand, water usage, infrastructure, and the environment. She made these comments during a meeting of the Senate Local Government Committee.
Brown's amendment, which sought to replace Senate Bill 1345 with the language of Senate Bill 1359, was defeated by a 2-9 vote. Despite this, the committee voted 10-1 to advance Senate Bill 1345 without the amendment. This bill would authorize municipalities to voluntarily prohibit new data center applications and permits for up to 18 months while they evaluate and update local ordinances. The committee also approved House Bill 2496, which modestly expands the municipal curative amendment process, allowing temporary pauses for ordinance updates without requiring a declaration of substantive invalidity or a legal challenge. Brown supported both bills as they provide tools for municipalities but emphasized they do not go far enough to address her constituents' demands for bold, enforceable protections.
Separately, State Representative Jim Haddock, D-Pittston Township, voted in favor of House Bill 2198, which would require data centers to pay property and sales taxes on their equipment. Haddock argued that if data centers can afford large local bonuses, they should also pay standard taxes.