Legislation

Why can’t data center development be banned altogether in PA?

PA’s Municipalities Planning Code states that a municipality cannot zone out any “legitimate” land use entirely. Banning data centers outright can be struck down in court, which would then give developers rights to build anywhere in the township without local restrictions.

Local Action

SHOW UP to township meetings, stay aware of updates and make your opposition heard.
Write strong ordinances that make it difficult/impossible for developers to meet requirements to build DCs here. Ordinances are being written now in East & West Rockhill - we need to attend township meetings and provide public comment to ensure strong ordinances are in place.
Even if a DC is approved, developers still need to go through engineering submissions, traffic studies, stormwater plans, and public hearings. A well-organized community can create friction at every step and make the process costly for developers.

State & Federal Action

HB 1834 pushes commercial DC regulations, with the core premise that no one's electric bill should go up.
HB 2150 requires DCs to submit annual reports detailing total energy and water
Sen. Katie Muth (D) has proposed a three-year statewide moratorium on hyperscale DC development
Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) introduced bills to repeal the sales tax exemption set to cost PA an estimated $2 bil, and to give municipalities the option of placing a temp moratorium on DC applications while they update their ordinances.

HB 502 (currently moving through the PA legislature)

Proposes creating the Reliable Energy Siting and Electric Transition (RESET) Board. This board would have the authority to fast-track permits for large-scale energy infrastructure projects, mandating board decisions on applications within 90 days.

It would allow data centers that build their own on-site power generation of 25 MW or more to bypass local zoning entirely through a state siting board. If this passes, local ordinance protections may be preempted for the largest facilities.

Contact your state senators and push back against HB 502: