Shapiro Signs Executive Order on Pennsylvania Data Centers
- New exec order requires data centers to meet 'Responsible Infrastructure Development' requirements.
- Order aims to address resident concerns over electricity, water usage, and environmental effects.
- Only 5 data centers have permits so far, with no operating AI centers in PA.
Shapiro Signs Executive Order on Pennsylvania Data Centers
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed an executive order imposing new requirements on data center developers, giving local communities more influence over projects and requiring developers to address concerns surrounding energy costs, water use and environmental impacts.
RELATED: Gov. Josh Shapiro Set to Sign Executive Order Addressing Pennsylvania’s Data Center Boom
Shapiro signed Executive Order 2026-05 on Tuesday, Aug. 18, directing state agencies to require proposed data center projects to meet the administration’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Requirements before moving forward.
The move comes as Pennsylvania faces growing interest in data centers tied to artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Shapiro said more than 100 data center proposals are currently being discussed across the state, but he characterized many of them as speculative.
“Most of those proposals are completely speculative, and many of them haven’t even taken the formal steps to apply to the Commonwealth, and they’ll never be built,” Shapiro said.
Under the executive order, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will not review certain data center permit applications unless developers make a legally binding commitment to comply with the GRID requirements and receive local approval.
Shapiro said the new rules are intended to address concerns he has heard from residents throughout Pennsylvania.
“I’ve listened to the people of Pennsylvania — and I’ve heard directly from many residents across our Commonwealth who are concerned about what data center development could mean for our communities, our environment, and our utility bills,” he said.
Last year, the governor announced two major projects involving Amazon that were expected to bring billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs to the Commonwealth. One project is planned for Salem Township in Luzerne County, while another is planned for Falls Township in Bucks County.
Since then, opposition to large-scale data centers has grown, with residents and local officials raising questions about electricity consumption, water usage, environmental effects and whether existing utility customers could ultimately pay for infrastructure needed to support the facilities.
Shapiro said only five data center projects have obtained the permits necessary to begin operations and that Pennsylvania currently has no operating AI data centers.
The order does not completely prohibit data centers from being built in Pennsylvania. Instead, developers now face additional requirements designed to ensure that projects have local support and that the costs and environmental consequences are addressed before construction moves forward.
