Shippensburg University Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Award, Hosts Forum on PA Energy and AI Data Centers
Shippensburg University hosted a forum on how rising electricity demand from AI data centers could affect Pennsylvania’s power grid, utility rates and infrastructure investment. Panelists discussed whether data center developers or existing utility customers should pay for needed upgrades, while Gov. Josh Shapiro and state regulators pursue policies addressing those costs.
Shippensburg University marked the Diller Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation’s international award before hosting a regional forum on AI data centers and Pennsylvania’s energy future. The discussion, moderated by Commonwealth Foundation COO and General Counsel Megan Martin, included Patrick Henderson of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, Christina Montgomery of Vistra, Alex Charlton of Constellation and Ryan Yonk of the American Institute for Economic Research.
Panelists considered the data center sector’s potential economic benefits alongside concerns about electricity demand, grid capacity and customer utility bills. Constellation’s agreement with Google to add 890 megawatts of nuclear capacity and Vistra’s agreements with Meta to add 433 megawatts were cited as examples of industry responses. The issue is also being addressed by Pennsylvania officials: Gov. Josh Shapiro intervened in a Public Utility Commission proceeding involving PPL Electric Utilities and signed an executive order requiring data center developers to bear infrastructure costs generated by their projects.