Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro institutes new regulations for data center development
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced new legally binding requirements for AI data center developers in the state. These regulations mandate developers provide their own power, obtain local approval, offer community benefits, and adhere to strict environmental standards. Non-compliance will result in no state approval for projects.
Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania announced new, legally binding requirements for artificial intelligence (AI) data center developers seeking to operate in the Commonwealth. He emphasized these are not voluntary standards and non-compliance will prevent state approval for projects.
The new regulations dictate that developers must provide a notice of intent to comply with grid requirements, present detailed plans to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for scrutiny, and sign a legally binding consent order. This order locks developers into these requirements and establishes strict penalties for failure to comply.
Key requirements include developers bearing all costs associated with their electricity and sourcing an increasing portion of power from clean energy like solar, advanced nuclear, and battery storage. Additionally, developers must engage transparently with local communities, prioritize local hiring, offer robust community benefits agreements, and secure local legal approval, without which state approval will not be granted.
Finally, data center developers must uphold Pennsylvania's constitutional obligation under Article 1, Section 27, which guarantees citizens the right to clean air and pure water, by committing to the highest standards of environmental protection.