Data center development in Lehigh Valley can be controlled
Pennsylvania House Democrats have passed eight bills to regulate data centers, addressing concerns like electricity costs, environmental impact, and local government authority. While one bill requiring water and electricity usage reporting has become law, other significant regulations face resistance in the Senate. Local planning boards in the Lehigh Valley have already delayed data center approvals.
Pennsylvania House Democrats have taken significant legislative action to regulate data center development, passing eight bills aimed at protecting the environment, controlling electricity costs, and empowering local governments. Representative Mike Schlossberg, who penned this opinion column, highlighted key legislation, including the Protect Our Families Act, which would mandate data centers pay the full cost of grid upgrades, invest in renewable energy, and face state oversight.
Additional bills passed by the House would enable local governments to enact temporary moratoriums on data center development to update zoning laws, ensure data centers pay their fair share without tax breaks, ban non-disclosure agreements, and require developers to report water usage to the Department of Environmental Protection, with the state gaining oversight over water consumption. The only bill to successfully become law requires data center developers to report on water and electricity usage.
Despite the House's efforts, the Senate has shown limited progress on these issues, with Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman expressing concerns about Pennsylvania's competitiveness for development. This partisan divide leaves local governments struggling to manage data center impacts, even as planning boards in the Lehigh Valley have already delayed project approvals. Schlossberg cautions against pursuing blanket moratoriums, citing rulings by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court against their legality, and advocates for focusing on responsible regulations over outright bans.