Data center bills advance out of Pa. House

Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have advanced two separate bills aimed at regulating data center development across the commonwealth. The legislation addresses growing public concerns about the substantial water and energy consumption of hyperscale data centers. House Bill 2150, known as the Data Center Energy and Water Reporting Act, passed by a vote of 133-68. Sponsored by Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-Lackawanna, this bill seeks to mandate that data center companies, including major tech firms like Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, submit annual public reports to the Department of Environmental Protection detailing their total and average water and energy usage. Rep. Mullins emphasized the need for transparency, calling the current data center expansion a "reckless gold rush." House Bill 2151 proposes the creation of an optional model zoning ordinance for local municipalities to consider when regulating data center development. This model, to be developed by the General Assembly’s Local Government Commission, would offer suggestions for setback standards, height and size dimensions, noise limitations, and consumption tracking. Sponsors Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-Lackawanna, and House Energy Committee Majority Chair Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, stressed that the ordinance would be optional, countering criticism from Republicans like Rep. Martin Causer and Rep. Scott Barger who viewed it as an overreach of state control. Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Luzerne, also voiced community opposition to the rapid development of data centers. These legislative efforts come amidst a surge in data center proposals in Pennsylvania, with 66 projects in various phases across the state, and public opposition centering on potential impacts to residential and commercial utility rates, water table depletion, and strain on the electric grid.