GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan campaigns on data center limits while investing in industry
Pennsylvania Rep. Rob Bresnahan is campaigning on a bill to give municipalities more control over data center development, despite his past pro-data center stance and current investments in companies that benefit from the industry's growth. His Democratic opponent, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, has also raised concerns about data center zoning. The issue highlights growing public opposition to data centers in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Representative Rob Bresnahan is advocating for a bill that would grant local municipalities greater authority over data center construction, a position he is actively promoting in TV ads in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre areas. This stance contrasts with his previous statements where he described data centers as "catalysts for economic growth" in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Bresnahan also maintains a multimillion-dollar investment portfolio, managed by financial advisers, which includes significant holdings in companies set to benefit from the data center and AI industries' expansion, such as Equinix, Digital Realty Trust, Iron Mountain, NVIDIA, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Oracle, and Blackstone Inc., which has announced data center-related energy investments in the region.
The debate over data centers has become a contentious issue in Pennsylvania, fueled by the AI industry's increasing demand and strong public opposition; a recent poll indicated that nearly 80% of Pennsylvania voters oppose local data center development. In Scranton, Mayor Paige Cognetti, Bresnahan's Democratic opponent, has also focused on regulating data centers, though a zoning ordinance proposed by her administration reportedly stalled for months. Bresnahan's bill, introduced in early June, aims to protect communities by requiring local approval for data center construction, but it has not yet advanced.