Opinion: Pa. never had a plan to prepare for data centers, now it needs a temporary statewide moratorium

Pennsylvania has lacked a strategic plan for managing the growth of data centers, leading to reactive and piecemeal decisions by local officials who feel unprepared to handle the massive infrastructure and environmental impacts. Other states like Virginia have taken a more proactive approach by clustering data centers in designated industrial corridors with appropriate regulations. The author, a Republican candidate for State Representative, calls for a temporary statewide moratorium on data center approvals to allow the Pennsylvania legislature time to establish clear policies, enforceable controls, and strong protections for communities before further development occurs. The author argues that families, property owners, and local taxpayers must be prioritized over corporate convenience, and that transparency, impact reviews, and financial guarantees are essential to responsible data center growth in the state.