Pennsylvania lawmakers urged to pass full moratorium on hyperscale data centers
The article urges Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass a three-year moratorium on hyperscale data centers, citing environmental, energy, and community impact concerns. It criticizes Governor Josh Shapiro's administration for incentivizing development and promoting what it calls insufficient voluntary standards. Advocacy groups and communities are actively opposing proposed projects across the state.
An opinion piece published on Inquirer.com advocates for Pennsylvania lawmakers to enact a three-year moratorium on hyperscale data centers, citing concerns over their environmental impact, high energy and water consumption, and disruptive effects on local communities. Ginny Marcille-Kerslake, a senior organizer for Food and Water Watch, criticizes Governor Josh Shapiro's administration for incentivizing data center development and offering tax breaks to the industry.
The author states that the Governor's 'Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards,' recently passed by the House, are insufficient voluntary measures. Right to Know files obtained by Concerned Citizens of Montour County allegedly show Amazon had input on these standards. Food and Water Watch has endorsed a three-year moratorium introduced by State Senator Katie Muth (D., Berks, Chester, and Montgomery) in the Assembly.
Communities across Pennsylvania, including East Whiteland, Hazle Townships, Montour County, South Whitehall Township in Lehigh County, and Luzerne County, are reportedly pushing back against proposed projects. Specific concerns include lack of transparency, high water usage, skyrocketing energy prices leading to infrastructure upgrade costs for ratepayers, and the conversion of agricultural land into sprawling industrial complexes. The article highlights that a proposed data center in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, would cover 410 acres, and an Amazon-touted $20 billion investment in Luzerne County could span 1,500-1,700 acres, threatening rural landscapes and drinking water supplies, especially in drought-stricken Eastern Pennsylvania.
Marcille-Kerslake concludes by urging Pennsylvanians to support the proposed bipartisan moratorium to protect communities and resources from what she describes as 'profit-driven extractive industrial facilities'.