Advocates Call for Statewide Moratorium on Data Center Development in Pennsylvania
Dozens of advocates rallied at the Pennsylvania Capitol, urging Governor Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers to enact a statewide moratorium on data center development. Critics argue that the development guidelines implemented by Governor Shapiro in August, which removed data center proposals from the state’s Fast Track permitting process and mandated compliance with responsible development standards, are insufficient and too late. According to Shapiro’s office, at least 100 data center projects are proposed across the Commonwealth. Speakers at the rally, organized by the Better Path Coalition, expressed concerns about the environmental and health impacts of these facilities, comparing the current situation to the natural gas fracking boom of the 2010s. They delivered letters to Shapiro’s office, including one signed by 80 healthcare providers, opposing hyperscale AI data centers due to potential health harms and environmental burdens.
