In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - September 22

Here are Articles and NewsClips on A.I. and data center issues from last week you may have missed--

Energy Prices

-- Inside Climate News: Shale Gas Was Supposed To Lower PA Electric Bills, Instead They’re Higher Than Ever And About To Get Worse [Due To LNG Gas Exports, A.I. Data Center Demand]

-- Utility Dive: Residential Electricity Rates Up 6.6% Over Last Year As Natural Gas Prices Rise    

-- Bloomberg: EQT Shale Gas Driller Says High Electric Bills Will Drive Use Of More Natural Gas  ‘We’ve Never Produced More Energy… But Americans’ Energy Bills Are Up Over 35%’

-- Financial Times: Surging US Power Costs Defy President’s Pledge To Halve Power Bills

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Electric Customers Will Pay To Keep An Old Fossil Fuel Power Plant Running Under US DOE Orders

-- TribLive Guest Essay: A.I., Crypto And Pennsylvania’s War On The Little Guy - Rep. Mandy Steele (D-Allegheny); Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes The Sun; Joe Morinville, EIS Solar

Power Supplies

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: A.I. Data Centers Will Have Uneven Impacts On Electric Utilities, Forecasts Show 

-- Triblive Guest Essay: Natural Gas Not Sustainable For PA’s Data Centers - By Matt Shorraw, Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Must Use Every Resource Available To Keep The Lights On - By Andy Tubbs, Energy Association of PA [Electric, Gas Utilities]

-- Observer-Reporter: Investment Firm Purchases Hill Top Energy Power Plant In Greene County To Support A.I. Data Center Development

-- Utility Dive: Blackstone To Pay $1 Billion For 620 MW PA Natural Gas Power Plant In Greene County [Part Of $25 Billion Plan To Support Build Out Of PA A.I. Data Infrastructure] 

-- Blackstone Private Equity Announced Purchase Of 620 MW Hill Top Energy Center Natural Gas Power Plant In Greene County To Power A.I. Data Center Build Out 

-- Inside Climate News: Riding The High From A.I. Data Centers, The Grid Cannot Kick Its Natural Gas Habit

-- Texas Tribune: Texas $7.2 Billion Loan Program For Natural Gas Power Plants Has Approved 2 Projects Generating 578 MW  In Two Years; Rising Costs, Supply Chain Issues Holding Back Interest In The Program

A.I. Plans

-- Gov. Shapiro To Convene 13-State Summit Sept. 22 On Critical Changes Needed At PJM To Keep Energy Costs Low, Bring New Electricity To Grid, Serve Power Demands Of A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

--  Tribune-Democrat: 13 States Meeting In Philly To Consider Solutions To PJM Electric Grid Energy Needs To Meet A.I. Data Center Demands

-- Team PA Releases PA Energy, Data Center, A.I. RoadMap, Includes ‘Aggressively Streamlining Permitting,' Establishing Regional Permitting Commissions  [PaEN]

-- NRDC: Another Proposed PJM Plan To Deal With Massive A.I. Data Center Electricity Demands Fails To Protect Consumers, Will Increase Electricity Bills Up To $100 Billion From 2028 To 2032  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Of Buggy Whips And A.I. Chips In Pennsylvania - By Kevin Sunday, McNees Government Relations 

Land Use

-- Inside Climate News - Kyle Bagenstose: The A.I. Boom Is Coming For Pennsylvania, How Will Lawmakers Respond? 

-- NextPittsburgh: What Does Pittsburgh Gain From Becoming A Global A.I. Hub?  Residents Questioned The True Costs Of Local A.I. Development 

-- TribLive: DEP Faces Citizen Concerns About Air Permit For 4.5 Gigawatt Natural Gas Power Plant For The 3,200 Acre Homer City A.I. Data Center Complex In Indiana County 

-- TribLive: DEP Gives Preliminary Nod To Homer City A.I. Data Center Power Plant, But Environmental Groups Sounds Alarm Regarding Pollution

-- Scranton Times: Powering NorthPoint 1,250 Acre HazelNut A.I. Data Center: What To Expect From NE PA’s Largest Data Center Project In Luzerne County; Other Projects In Lackawanna, Schuylkill Counties  [PDF of Article] 

-- Scranton Times: Developer Shifts Project From Warehouse To A.I. Data Center By Gas Power Plant In Jessup, Lackawanna County [PDF of Article]   [Information Obtained Thru Right To Know Request]

-- The Citizens Voice: PA Consumer Advocate To Investigate PPL’s Proposed 12-Mile Power Line Project To Feed A.I. Data Center In Luzerne County [PDF of Article]  

-- LancasterOnline: Developer Of 2 A.I. Data Centers In Lancaster Wants Judge To Block Lancaster City Zoning Appeal By Resident 

Education

-- Environmental, Health Groups Host Sept. 23 Webinar On What The A.I. Boom Means For You And Society - Big Promise Or Big Problems?  [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Mount Aloysius College Presents Sept. 23 Program On Big Data Centers, A.I., Crypto At Cresson Public Library

Federal Policy

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Proposed EPA Rule Allowing Construction Of A.I. Data Centers Before Air Permits Are In-Hand Undermines Clean Air Protections, Environmentalists Say

-- EPA Convenes A.I. Roundtable Highlighting Permitting Reform To Make US The A.I. Capital of The World 

-- EPA Prioritizes Review Of New Chemicals Used In A.I. Data Center Projects Under Toxic Substances Control Act

-- US DOE Seeks Information On How Best To Support Large-Scale Power Generation, Transmission Projects To Feed A.I. Infrastructure, Data Centers  

-- Reuters: US Launches Effort To Speed Power Grid Projects To Support A.I. Infrastructure

-- Utility Dive: New FERC Chairman Rosner Outlines Priorities: ‘We Need To Build, Build, Build’ 

A.I. Policy

-- WESA: Amid A.I. Summaries And Misinformation, Pittsburgh-Area Schools Teach Students To Check Their Facts

-- Financial Times: A.I. - What Will Become Of The Truth? [FT Video Drama]

-- Financial Times: China Tells Tech Firms To Stop Buying US Nvidia’s A.I. Chips [US Allows The Exports]

[Posted: September 21, 2025]  PA Environment Digest