John Fetterman pushes back on ‘political pandering’ on data centers, reiterates his support
Senator John Fetterman has reiterated his support for data center developments, pushing back against what he calls "political pandering." This comes after Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order implementing tougher requirements for data center projects due to growing community backlash over environmental and power grid concerns.
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman took to social media over the weekend to reaffirm his support for data center developments, directly challenging what he termed "political pandering and hyperbole" on the issue. Fetterman's comments were made after Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order to establish stricter requirements for data center projects in Pennsylvania.
Governor Shapiro, who had previously championed data centers, shifted his stance due to escalating public opposition regarding their impact on the environment, local communities, and the state's power grid. Shapiro stated that "speculators are scaring our communities, being aggressive with township officials, bullying our neighbors…and refusing to listen to the people," threatening to "fundamentally change the character of our communities." Fetterman, however, emphasized the importance of "AI supremacy and energy dominance" for national security, arguing that the US must lead in AI development to avoid living "under China's rules." A recent Quinnipiac University poll indicated that 74% of Pennsylvanians would oppose a data center in their community. An Amazon Web Services data center under construction near the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, PA, was highlighted in an accompanying image, illustrating the ongoing development in the state.