Legislation Addressing Data Center Growth in PA

House Bills 2515 and 2516, known as the Commercial Data Center Transparency Act, to address growing concerns surrounding the rapid expansion of large data centers in Luzerne County and across the Commonwealth.

“In recent years, the development of data centers has accelerated, leaving many of our communities facing serious questions about how they will affect local residents, utility systems, farmland, water supply and much more,” said Walsh. “In my legislative district, specifically, we have a couple companies seeking to build data centers due to our proximity to needed resources and open lands, which has brought this issue to the forefront. And while I understand this industry brings the possibility of new economic investment, we also need to acknowledge and address the concerns that come with it.”

Walsh noted data centers use large amounts of electricity and water to operate. That raises questions about whether the state’s existing power grid and water systems can support the projected demand without pushing added costs onto residential ratepayers. At the same time, residents have expressed frustration that decisions are being made without sufficient transparency or community input.