In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - December 15

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

Energy Prices

-- PA Capital-Star: Energy Market Watchers See Electric Bills In PA, Other States Rising As A.I. Data Center Demand Continues 

-- PUC: Most PA Electric Utility Consumers To See 3.7% To 10.6% Increase In Electricity Prices During The Next 3 Months Starting Dec. 1  [PaEN] 

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: PPL Proposed 7% Rate Hike A.I. Data Center Driven  [PDF of Article] 

-- Scranton Times: Customer, Elected Officials Blast Proposed PPL Rate Increase, Concerns About Ratepayers Footing The Bill For A.I. Data Centers   [PDF of Article] 

-- Morning Call: Lehigh Valley Residents Warn Of Affordability Crisis, Ask PUC To Reject PPL’s Proposed 7% Rate Increase 

-- PaGasSwitch.com: Natural Gas Costs Increased From 9.26% to 57.5% Over The Last Year For Natural Gas Utility Customers Not Shopping For A Fuel Supplier  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PUC Approves Columbia Gas Rate Increase - 13th Since 2008

-- Independent Fiscal Office: 2025 Act 13 Shale Gas Impact Fee Revenue Estimate $239.9 Million, Up $75.3 Million From Last Year  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Highlights Ways Natural Gas Customers Can Manage Winter Energy Use, Costs, Explore Energy Affordability Options  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Publishes Updates To Low-Income Natural Gas, Electric Utility Usage Reduction Program Regulations  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: What’s Important In Affordable Energy?  A Conversation With A Carnegie Mellon Energy Justice Professor

-- PUC Chairman Highlights 'Extraordinary Challenges' Pennsylvania Families Are Facing This Winter With Energy Bills And His Appreciation For Groups Providing Assistance  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: Rising Electricity Bills Lead To State Scrutiny-- But Little Relief For Ratepayers

-- Fortune: Exelon CEO: The ‘Warning Lights Are On’ For US Electric Grid Resilience And Utility Prices Amid Uncontrolled A.I. Data Center Demand Surge [Electricity & Natural Gas Costs Are Now Leading Inflation Pressures]

- The Guardian: More Than 230 US Environmental Groups Demand Halt To New Energy-Hungry A.I. Data Centers Causing Soaring Electric Bills 

Electric Grid

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PJM Grid Operator Covering PA Failing To Plan For Responsible A.I. Data Center Load Growth, Observers Say

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Urges FERC To Consider Consumer, State Regulator, Power Company Comments On A.I. Data Centers Connecting To PJM Grid Proposed By PJM’s Market Monitor To Protect Reliability, Affordability

-- Utility Dive: Data Center Coalition, PJM Power Providers Groups, Others Urge FERC To Reject The PJM Market Monitors Complaint Asking The Commission To Find The PJM Interconnection Can Deny Large Load Connections If They Threaten Grid Reliability

-- Utility Dive: FERC Poised To Issue Decision On Colocating A.I. Data Centers/ Large Loads In PJM Dec. 18  

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Cold Weather Alert For Dec. 13 In Illinois, And Dec. 14, 15 In Its Western Region, Including Duquesne Light, Penn Power, West Penn Power  [PaEN]

Public Opinion

-- The Center Square: Pennsylvania Straddles The A.I. Divide - Advocates, Concerns About Furious Pace Of A.I. Data Center Development 

-- Politics PA: New Poll Says 48% Of Pennsylvanians Surveyed Say A.I. Will Have Negative Impact On Economy, 46% A Negative Impact On The Environment;  55% Says A.I. Will Decrease The Number Of Jobs

Land Use

-- Scranton Times: A.I. Data Center Developer Tied To Projects In Archbald, Blakely Proposes Projects In Dickson City; 54 Data Center Buildings Now Proposed Across Archbald, Dickson City, Jessup In Lackawanna County [PDF of Article] 

-- Scranton Times: Dickson City Receives 4 A.I. Data Center Campus Proposals; Mayfield Boro Adopts Ordinance Regulating Data Centers, 11 Data Center Proposals In Lackawanna County  [PDF of Article] 

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill, Luzerne, Carbon County Municipalities React To A.I. Data Center Proposals [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: Springdale Residents, Environmental Groups Gather To Oppose A.I. Data Center; More Events Planned In Allegheny County [Vote Dec. 16]

-- TribLive: Springdale Zoning Hearing Board Approves Requests From A.I. Data Center Developers Before Dec. 16 Vote In Allegheny County

-- Fox43: New Plans Reviewed For $15 Billion A.I. Data Center In Middlesex Twp., Cumberland County

-- PennLive: Warehouse Project Off The Table In Watts Twp., Perry County, But Developer May Have Other Plans; Township Considering A.I. Data Center Ordinance 

-- Morning Call: Will A.I. Data Center Be Built At Site Of Former Merchants Square Mall In Allentown?  It’s One Possibility  [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: Mayfield Boro To Hold Hearing On A.I. Data Center Regulations Dec. 10 In Lackawanna County [PDF of Article] 

Impacts

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna County Officials Take Trip To Virginia’s Data Center Alley   [PDF of Article] ​​

-- WNEP: Lackawanna County Leaders Learn About A.I. Data Centers On Trip To Virginia’s ‘Data Center Alley’ 

-- Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper Hosts Jan. 14 Data Centers in the Susquehanna River Basin – Let's Talk Water Usage With SRBC [PaEN] 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Concerns Raised About PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In A.I. Data Centers

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Potential For More Air Pollution From A.I. Data Centers Causes Concern In Virginia

-- EPA Publishes Guide To Getting Air Permits For A.I. Data Center Projects

Generation

-- Sen. Yaw Bill To Subsidize Building Only Natural Gas Power Plants To Help Meet The Energy Demands Of A.I. Data Centers; Continues ‘One Of The Above’ Energy Policy  [PaEN]

-- Reuters: Big Tech Shifts To ‘All Of The Above’ A.I. Power Strategy [Still Prioritizing Renewables Over Fossil Fuels]

-- Financial Times: Visual Story: The Power Crunch Is Threatening America’s A.I. Ambitions  [PDF of Article]

PA Natural Gas Development

-- YaleEnvironment360:  Pennsylvania Faces A New Natural Gas Fracking Boom With Soaring Energy Demands Needed To Feed A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

-- Capitol Wire: Natural Gas Fracking Activity In Pennsylvania Surges As Power Demand From A.I. Data Centers Increases 

-- Environmental Quality Board Votes To Accept Petition To Study An Increase In Setback Safety Zones From Shale Gas Wells; And 3 Petitions From Oil & Gas Industry To Change Other Requirements  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: DEP To Review Proposal To Expand No-Drill Zones Around Homes, Schools, Streams 

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: PA Will Study Plan To Keep New Natural Gas Drilling Pads Farther From Homes, Schools, Hospitals 

Public Participation

-- DEP Invites Comments On Permits For 5 Large Electric Transmission, Substation Projects In 14 Counties, Including 150 Mile Piney-Seward and Erie South-Piney Transmission Project Crossing 8 Counties  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permit Approvals For Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage Appalachian Reliability Pipeline Project In Armstrong, Greene, Westmoreland Counties  [PaEN] 

Federal Actions

-- Wall Street Journal: The Political Skirmish Over President’s A.I. Order Is Just Beginning The Populist Opposition Against Technology That Holds The Promise Of Eliminating Lots Of Jobs [PDF of Article] 

-- NY Times: President Signs Executive Order To Neuter State A.I. Law  [Copy of Order]

-- White House: Ensuring A National Policy Framework For Artificial Intelligence

-- Utility Dive: President Wants ‘ONE’ National A.I. Data Center Rule As States Seeks To Curb Impacts On Energy Costs, Water Use, Privacy And Other Issues 

-- NY Times: President Promises Executive Order To Block State A.I. Regulations

-- EPA Publishes Guide To Getting Air Permits For A.I. Data Center Projects

-- Reuters: US House Passes Bill To Fast-Track Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting

A.I. Policy

-- Post-Gazette: A.I. Strike Team Finds New Partner, Fresh Leadership To Promote A.I. In PA

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Thoughts On ‘Frankenstein,’ A.I. And The Perils Of Our Unfinished Creation - By Kelly McKinney, NYU Langone Health

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: What The New Movie ‘Frankenstein’ Tells Us About A.I. - By Kelly McKinney, NYU Langone Heal

-- WESA: Commonwealth Court Judge Questions A.I. ‘Hallucinations’ In Plaintiff's Brief Challenging PA Human Relations Commission Protections Of Transgender Students Involving Beaver County School District, 2 PA House Members 

-- PA Republican Attorney General Sunday Leads Coalition Of 42 Attorneys General In Letter To A.I. Software Companies Demanding Safeguards To Protect Vulnerable Residents From Harmful Interactions With Bots 

-- WSJ: President OKs Sale Of Nvidia A.I. Chips To China After Meeting With CEO, US Govt. To Get 25% Cut [Chips Will Help China Train Their A.I. Models] 

-- Time Magazine Person Of The Year - The Architects Of A.I.

[Posted: December 13, 2025]  PA Environment Digest