Protesters demand legislative action on data centers
Environmental and community advocates rallied at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg to oppose the expansion of hyperscale AI data centers and urge lawmakers to act. State Sen. Katie Muth has proposed a three-year moratorium, while other legislation and Gov. Josh Shapiro's GRID standards address data center energy, water, environmental and community impacts.
Environmental and community advocates gathered at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg to protest hyperscale artificial intelligence data centers and encourage Pennsylvanians to send constituent letters to state decision-makers. The rally was organized by the Better Path Coalition and included concerns about air and light pollution, public health, children, generative AI and impacts on marginalized communities.
Speakers criticized Gov. Josh Shapiro for previously promoting the data center and AI boom while later calling for greater scrutiny. State Sen. Katie Muth has introduced Senate Bill 1349, which would establish a three-year moratorium on hyperscale data center development. Pennsylvania lawmakers have also advanced bills addressing data center energy and water use, environmental effects and regulation, while Shapiro's administration has implemented GRID standards and an executive order requiring developers to meet them during the state permitting process.