Governor Josh Shapiro has signed an Executive Order requiring data center developers comply with the strictest standards in the nation — blocking unwanted AI data center projects and stopping greedy developers.
This Executive Order directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to only review permit applications if developers have made a legally-binding commitment to meet the Governor’s strict requirements and have received local approval.
Effective immediately, Governor Shapiro’s strict requirements stipulate that developers must:
- Pay the full cost of all energy needed to power their project — instead of raising electricity costs on consumers.
- Commit to open, transparent engagement with local residents and leaders.
- Hire and train local workers and invest in the local community.
- Meet the highest standards for environmental protection, including strict water conservation requirements.
For developers who do not agree to meet these requirements, DEP will not begin review of permit applications until after all required local and water withdrawal approvals are secured, and every permit application required for construction of the data center has been reviewed and found to be compliant by DEP. The new permit review process will apply to all new data center permit applications going forward — and will effectively block dangerous data center proposals that do not meet these strict standards from moving forward.
The Governor is also immediately removing all data center projects from the PA Permit Fast Track Program and will not consider data center projects for the program going forward. The Executive Order also implements new public transparency requirements for developers, and makes clear that the use of nondisclosure agreements with data center projects is not allowed.
Read more about Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order here.
The Governor is taking this bold action as the number and scale of proposed projects has grown rapidly and Pennsylvanians have expressed concerns about how new data center development could affect their communities, energy costs, air and water, and infrastructure.
Currently, the Commonwealth is aware of at least 100 proposed data centers - the vast majority of which have not formally approached the Commonwealth for any discussion of permitting or taken meaningful steps toward development — no AI data center is currently operational.
To ensure full transparency with our communities, the Commonwealth is now providing visibility on these projects for the public in an interactive map which is available at the link below and is sortable by location, permitting stage and approval status.
Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order was informed by the many residents who have expressed their concerns to him directly, and to many more who have shared feedback, in public meetings, op-eds, and even Facebook groups. We want to continue this conversation — and we want to hear from you.
Use the form below to share your concerns or other feedback about a proposed AI data center development in your community — and help us protect the Commonwealth from bad actors who do not adhere to the GRID Requirements.