HARRISBURG – Today, Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24) announced a legislative package to help local communities address concerns about large data center development in their neighborhoods.
The legislative package includes:
- Requiring large data centers to bring their own power supply;
- Requiring data centers to provide a closed looped water supply of reclaimed or recycled water systems of 100,000 gallons or more a day. Facilities unable to do so would be required to pay a large data center water-user mitigation charge to ensure water, wastewater, infrastructure, and conservation costs are not shifted onto existing ratepayers;
- Prohibiting state and local government agencies from entering into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for data center development. A growing practice among data center developers is to require local governments to sign non-disclosure agreements regarding proposed data center projects, leaving the voices of residents out of the discussion;
- Banning foreign-owned companies of concern from operating data centers in Pennsylvania;
- Preserve local control by requiring at least two publicly advertised public meetings for residents before a zoning decision may be made on a proposed hyperscale data center;
- Creating a Pennsylvania Data Center Advisory Committee for the next 10 years to monitor development and recommend legislative or regulatory changes to protect residents, energy resources, water resources and the environment.
- Empower the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to develop and implement a Large Load Data Center Tariff to ensure data centers pay their fair share and are not shifting electric and grid infrastructure costs onto consumers and local businesses.
“Data centers should not be forced into communities, placed on every undeveloped or underdeveloped parcel, or advanced in locations where residents have made clear they are not in support”, said Pennycuick. “Projects of this magnitude carry significant implications for land use, infrastructure, energy demand, and water resources that must be considered carefully and transparently.”
As Chair of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, Senator Pennycuick is championing measures to provide real guardrails around the growth of data centers while promoting innovation.
Pennycuick added, “While there is board recognition that data centers are an important part of our modern economy, including our use of smartphones, telehealth, streaming services, cloud-based business tools, online banking, and even email – necessity does not make every location suitable. Residents deserve confidence that any proposal moving forward has been thoroughly reviewed with the public interest placed above private development pressures. Most importantly, they must be made with full respect and consideration of the residents who will live in these communities.”
CONTACT: Lidia Di Fiore (215) 541-2388