The Pittsburgh Technology Council has requested that lawmakers wait to legislate on the issue.
States across the country are considering a new question: how will they approach data centers? Pennsylvania has maintained its position at the center of the AI boom in the United States. Residents are growing more and more frustrated with data centers being built in communities.
Recently, the Pittsburgh Technology Council sent a request to Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly asking them to wait to legislate on the issue.
“The request is simple. Take a brief pause. Bring manufacturers, labor leaders, local communities, and policymakers to the table. Let’s make sure we get this right before decisions are finalized,” said Audrey Russo, president and CEO of the Council, in a release on Monday.
The Council said that its request for a moratorium on data center laws was not “made on behalf of any single data center project. Rather, it is about protecting Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs.”
The request for a moratorium on data center legislation comes as residents grow increasingly frustrated with their construction.
“Pennsylvania has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become America’s manufacturing center for AI infrastructure. These aren’t just technology jobs in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. These are manufacturing jobs in communities across the Commonwealth – many of them in rural counties that have spent decades working to rebuild their industrial base,” wrote Russo on the economic benefits data centers are bringing to Pennsylvania.
The request comes in response to Governor Shapiro’s proposal titled the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards that call for data center developers to bring their own power and be transparent with communities about plans.
Developers would need to acquire GRID certification to access tax benefits for equipment purchases.
“As Pennsylvania continues to compete for major economic development projects and lead on innovation, we have a responsibility to set strict accountability standards and ensure these projects create real opportunity for our communities,” said Governor Shapiro when he announced the proposed standards.
“I’ve heard directly from Pennsylvanians who are concerned about the impact data center development could have on their communities, the environment, and their utility bills,” said the governor.
“If companies want the Commonwealth’s full support – they must meet strong standards on energy affordability, clean energy generation, transparency, workforce development, community impact, and environmental protection.”
The Council’s perspective is that the standards need to be carefully considered with industry input to avoid “unintended consequences [that] could jeopardize one of the Commonwealth’s most significant manufacturing opportunities in decades.”
The Council recently commissioned a study called Pennsylvania Builds the Cloud: Manufacturing, Energy, and Data Center Development. It found that Pennsylvania exports nearly $15 billion in manufactured goods and raw materials that support the data center supply chain, making it a leading supplier.
Without action in Harrisburg, communities are considering rezoning to keep data center construction at bay.
