Legislation would establish data center impact fee
A Pennsylvania Senate bill soon to be introduced would create a statewide annual impact fee for qualifying data centers. The fee would be based on facility size and electricity demand, with revenue distributed to communities and programs addressing infrastructure, environmental and public-service impacts.
Legislation being prepared for introduction in the Pennsylvania Senate would establish an annual impact fee on qualifying data centers across the state. The fee would be calculated according to a facility’s size and electricity demand and would generate recurring revenue during the facility’s operating life.
State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Bradford, said the proposal would help communities manage demands on roads, water resources, emergency services, public infrastructure and the environment. The measure would be modeled on Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale impact fee, which distributes industry revenue to affected communities and statewide programs.