In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - December 8

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

Energy Prices

-- Reuters: President’s Push For More A.I. Data Centers Faces Backlash From His Own Voters [PA Highlighted]  

-- NYTimes: The Political Shocks Of A.I. Data Centers, Electric Bills: ‘The New Price Of Eggs’ [PDF of Article]

-- PennLive Letter: The Hidden Price Of A.I. - Your Electric Bill - By Tom McCarey, Berwyn, PA

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Pittsburgh, Western PA Electric Rates Increasing Dec. 1; Here’s What To Do If You Can’t Pay

-- PUC Adds Dec. 18 Hearing In Wilkes-Barre On Proposed PPL 7% Rate Increase; Other Hearings Start Dec. 8  [PaEN]

-- PUC Approves Reduced Columbia Gas Rate Hike Of 6.05%, And A Per Month Residential Customer Charge Increase Of 33%  [PaEN] 

-- Independent Fiscal Office: Quarterly PA Natural Gas Production Up 5.1% From Last Year; Natural Gas Price Up 51.4%  [PaEN] 

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Gaslighting On Economy Won’t Warm Lancaster County Residents This Holiday Season And Winter [President’s Tariffs, Surging Electricity, Natural Gas Prices] [PDF of Article] 

-- Financial Times: Surging Natural Gas Prices Worsens Affordability Crisis For Americans   [PDF of Article] 

-- The Guardian: Cooking With Natural Gas Gets More Expensive As Americans Face Rising Prices Into 2026: 4% For Residential Users, 21% For Industrial, 37% For Power Generators 

-- Dept. Of Human Services Announces Opening Of Low-Income Heating Assistance Program After Federal Shutdown

-- WHYY: PA Households Can Apply For Heating Bill Assistance After Federal Shutdown Delay

Electric Grid

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: PJM Must Stop Buying Power Capacity For New A.I. Data Centers, They Need To Bring Their Own Capacity - By Tom Rutigliano and Claire Lang-Ree, Natural Resources Defense Council

-- PA Capital-Star: Watchdog For PJM Electric Grid Wants A Pause On A.I. Data Centers

-- Utility Dive: New Lt. Governor In Virginia Says Virginia A.I. Data Centers Must Pay ‘Fair Share’ By Supplying Their Own Energy

-- Forbes: Facing US Electricity Shortfall Crisis Years Unfolding

-- PJM Interconnection 2027/28 Electricity Capacity Auction Now Open Thru Dec. 10; Results Reported Dec. 17

-- Utility Dive: FERC Urged To Reject American Electric Power Request To Join PJM’s December Capacity Auction With 750 MW Of Generation For A.I. Data Centers That Did Not Materialize 

Generation

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: The Fastest, Most Affordable Path To Electric Grid Resilience Is To Maximize Distributed Energy Resources Already In Homes, Businesses And Incentivizing More Installations - By Hannah Bascom, Uplight

-- York Dispatch: Constellation Energy To Divest From York 1, York 2 Natural Gas Power Plants [Dedicated To Feeding A.I. Data Centers] [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: Constellation Energy, US DOJ Agree On Conditions For Acquisition Of Calpine Gas Power Plants To Feed A.I. Data Centers [Sell York 2 Natural Gas Plant In PA]

-- The Center Square Guest Essay: Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant For Microsoft’s A.I. Data Centers Forges Path Forward Despite Legislature’s Shortsightedness - By Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin)

-- Wall Street Journal: Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Revival Pits Those Who Fled Against Job Seekers To Power Microsoft A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article] 

-- Broad & Liberty Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Needs More Energy And Sensible Regulation To Lure A.I. Data Centers - Gordon Tomb, Commonwealth Foundation [PA Is Already Flooded With Proposals, Electric Bills, Natural Gas Bills Surging As A Result]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Future Of A.I. In PA, Unleashing Energy Dominance Begins With Regulatory Reform - By Kenny Stein, Institute for Energy Research

-- Bloomberg: President’s Plan For A.I. Dominance Threatened By His Own Attacks On Solar, Wind Power

-- Financial Times: Climate Rift Opens Between Amazon, Rivals Over Powering A.I. Data Centers With Clean Power; Accused Of Pressuring Group To Change Emission Rules [PDF of Article]

Land Use

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly: A Distress Call From Archbald Boro On A.I. Data Centers In Lackawanna County [PDF of Article]

-- PennLive: Poll: Nearly Half Of Central PA Residents Said Construction Of A.I. Data Centers Will Have Negative Impact On Region’s Economy, A Third Said A.I. Poses A ‘Significant Threat’ To Humanity

-- LancasterOnline: Developer Submits Plans For A.I. Data Center, 102 Backup Diesel Generators  Near Long’s Park In Lancaster County [Not Subject To New Data Center Rules In Lancaster City]  [PDF of Article]

-- Morning Call: Upper Macungie Twp. Adopts A.I. Data Center Regulations, But They Won’t Apply To Proposal On Old Air Products Site In Lehigh County 

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: A.I. Data Centers Are Not Inevitable, We Need To Stop Them - By Jon Irons, Lehigh County Commissioner

-- TribLive: Elected Officials Eye Springdale A.I. Data Center Proposal As Borough Council Prepares To Vote Dec. 16

-- Post-Gazette: Developer Buys Springdale A.I. Data Center Site In Allegheny County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Springdale A.I. Data Center Site Sold Data Center Developer In November; Springdale Council Expected To Vote On Conditional Use Permit Dec. 16

-- TribLive: Fawn Twp. Considers Ordinance For Placement Of Wind Turbines, Data Centers And More In Allegheny County; Hearing Dec. 16 

Impacts

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Rural PA’s A.I. Data Center Mirage - Appalachian Communities In PA Know The Feeling Of Being Promised The World And Being Left With The Bill - By Panini A. Chowdhury, Professional Infrastructure Planner 

A.I. Policy

-- Post-Gazette: A.I. Poised To Play Increased Role In PA Election Campaigns In 2026 And Beyond

-- City & State PA: Pennsylvania Businesses Are All In On A.I.

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Prosperity Without Workers - The A.I. Paradox Shaping President’s Economy 

-- Morning Call: PA US Sen. McCormick Says PA Can Lead A.I. Boom: ‘I Think Our State Is Uniquely Blessed’ 

-- City & State PA: As A.I. Enters PA Classrooms, Teachers And Students Face A Learning Curve

-- TribLive: Legislation From PA Democratic Member Of Congress Summer Lee Would Combat Discriminatory A.I. 

-- TribLive Editorial: Could A.I. Be The New Twinkie Defense For Crimes?

-- Reuters: A.I. Companies’ Safety Practices Fail To Meet Global Standards, Study Shows; No Companies Had A Robust Strategy For Controlling Advanced A.I. Systems 

[Posted: December 7, 2025]  PA Environment Digest