In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last 2 Weeks - February 16 & 23

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

Grid

-- Gov. Shapiro Secures 2 Year Extension Of PJM Price Cap, Collar On Electricity Capacity Auctions [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: PJM Interconnection Agrees To Extend Price Cap That Has Tamped Down Surging Electricity Prices  

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PJM Grid Operator Plans To Cap Electricity Auction Costs For 2 More Years 

-- PA Capital-Star: Grid Operator PJM Agrees To Extension Of Electricity Auction Price Cap

-- Reuters: PJM To Extend Electricity Capacity Auction Price Cap For 2 Years, PA Governor Says

-- Gov. Shapiro: Gov. Shapiro Appears On CNBC Describing His Efforts to Lower PA’s Electricity Prices, Pressing PJM Leadership To Protect Consumers   

-- Politico: ‘Pay For Your Own Power:’ Shapiro Digs In On A.I. Data Center Energy Costs

-- Bloomberg Opinion: Onsite Generators A.I. ‘Bring Your Own Generation’ Electricity Stopgap Needs A Big Caveat

-- The Center Square: Shapiro’s Power Plans Draw Mixed Reactions

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Why Gov. Shapiro Wants To Scrutinize Electric, Gas Utility Profits 

-- Reuters: PPL Forecasts 2026 Profit Below Estimates, Lifts Spending As Utility Prepares To Meet Surging Power Demand From A.I. Data Centers By Building Power Generation, Expanding Transmission Networks

Energy Prices

-- AP: As Electricity Costs Rise, Everyone Wants A.I. Data Centers To Pick Up Their Tab, But How?  

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Winter Storm Brings Cash For Natural Gas Drillers; But Natural Gas Prices Reach Historic Highs For Consumers

-- Bloomberg: EQT Natural Gas Driller Expects $1 Billion Windfall On Winter Storm-Driven Gas Price Rally 

-- US EIA Increases Natural Gas Price Projection For 2026 By 40% Due To Large Withdrawals From Gas Storage [PaEN] 

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Here’s Why Electric Bills Are Getting More Expensive In PA

Taxpayer Subsidies

-- Spotlight PA: PA Tax Credit For Data Centers Will Cost Taxpayers $2 Billion A Year By Mid-2031 

-- Ohio River Valley Institute: A.I. Data Centers Employ An Average Of 27 On-Site Workers - About The Same As An Average Olive Garden Restaurant

-- Pittsburgh Business Times Editorial: Pittsburgh Region Should Make Way For More Data Centers [Even Though They Have Few Employees, Use Huge Amounts Of Energy, Are Increasing Energy Prices, Are Hot And Noisy] 

Data Center Developers

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna County Commissioner Urges 3-Year State Moratorium On A.I. Data Center Development [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times Chris Kelly Opinion: Wyoming Valley Rings With Echoes Of A.I. Data Center Exploitation [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times Chris Kelly Opinion: Beware ‘Digital Identify’ Data Detention Centers [PDF of Article]

-- RealClear Pennsylvania: A.I. Data Centers Are A Repeat Of History In PA’s Coal Region - Devastated Landscapes, Broken Local Economies, Finally Industry Collapse - By Jake Wynn 

-- KDKA: Beaver Valley Could Become Center Of A.I. Infrastructure For Region; Aligned Plans 2 Natural Gas Power Plants To Power Data Centers [For Machines, Not People] 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: A.I. Data Center Developers Zeroing In On A New Target - Converting Bitcoin Mining Operations [PDF of Article]

Land Use

-- Montour County Commissioners Vote To Reject Talen Energy's Request To Rezone 800 Acres Of Agricultural Land For Industrial A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

-- WNEP: Montour County Commissioners Won’t Rezone For Talen Energy Data Center

-- The News-Item: Montour County Commissioners Unanimously Deny Talen Energy’s Rezoning For Data Center

-- WFMZ: Montour County Commissioners Deny Rezoning Request For Talen Energy Data Center

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: PA County Denies Rezoning Plan To Allow Data Center

-- Reuters: Montour County Commissioners Deny Rezoning Request For Talen Energy Data Center Development

-- Scranton Times: Archbald (Wednesday), Dickson City (Thursday) Hearings This Week Focus On Data Center Proposals ​​ [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: ‘Data Centers Are Coming:’ Developer Proposing 18 Data Center Buildings Addresses Archbald At Public Hearing  [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: Dickson City Adopts A.I. Data Center Regulations, Halts Bell Mountain Campus   [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Council Questions Tapping PA American Water Lake Scranton Reservoir To Cool A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: A.I. Data Center Developer Appeals Jessup Boro Denial Of Breaker Street Data Center Proposal To Lackawanna County Court [PDF of Article] 

-- Scranton Times: Carbondale’s Proposed A.I. Data Center Regulations Allow Nuclear Reactors [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: Carbondale Adopts Standards For A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article] 

-- The Citizens’ Voice:  Luzerne County Planning Office Hosting March 5 Public Forum On Draft Zoning Ordinance Amendment On A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Speakers Ask DEP To See Big Picture Around Hazelnut A.I. Data Center Proposal In Luzerne County [PDF of Article]

-- The Citizens Voice: Proposed Hollenback Twp. Zoning Ordinance Allows For A.I. Data Centers With Conditions In Luzerne County [PDF of Article]

-- The Citizens Voice: Residents In Hollenback Twp. Debate A.I. Data Center Ordinance [PDF of Article]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Jenkins Twp. Supervisors Deny Forza Holdings Rezoning, Announce Proposed Data Center Ordinance In Luzerne County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Hollenback Twp. Residents Urge Supervisors To Protect Resources Amid A.I. Data Center Boom

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Clean Energy Roundtable Focuses On Electricity Supplies, Rising Utility Bills, Data Centers 

-- WJAC: Homer City’s Natural Gas Power Plant, Data Center Reboot In Indiana County - Part I 

-- WJAC: Activists Challenge Air Permit For Homer City 4.5 GW Natural Gas Power Plant For Data Center - Part II  

-- Observer-Reporter: South Strabane Twp. Shares Draft Ordinance For A.I. Data Centers In Washington County   [PDF of Article]

-- Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Limerick Nuclear Power Plant Digital Modernization Plan For Safety, Diagnostic Systems; Data Center Proposed Next Door  [PaEN] 

-- WHYY: Data Centers Explained: Why The Philly Area Is Seeing More Of them And How They Affect Us 

-- Inquirer: Calling Pennhurst A.I. Data Center Proposal ‘Technically Deficient,’ East Vincent Twp. Planning Commission Recommends Disapproval Of Plan To Supervisors In Chester County

-- PennLive: Proposed Cumberland County A.I. Data Center Secures $14.1 Million Water Deal With Middlesex Twp. Municipal Authority For 400,000 Gallons/Day 

-- PennLive: Nuclear Regulatory Commission To Hold Public Meeting Feb. 19 On Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Serve Microsoft A.I. Data Centers

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Residents Give Mixed Views On Restarting Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Power Microsoft A.I. Data Centers To Federal Regulators 

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Planned Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Power Microsoft A.I. Data Centers Moves Forward Toward More Intense NRC Review

Generation

-- Reuters: Solar Energy On The Rise In Gas-Rich Pennsylvania  

-- NYTimes: 24 States Weigh Legislation To Allow You To Make Your Own Electricity With Small, Plug-In Solar Power Systems

-- Utility Dive: New Jersey Board Of Public Utilities Launches Virtual Power Plant Initiative With Distributed Energy Resources 

-- Utility Dive: American Council For An Energy-Efficient Economy Says Energy Efficiency, Demand Flexibility Can Meet Growing Data Center Loads - And Do It Cheaper Than Gas Which Is 2 to 5 Times More Expensive 

Transmission Lines

-- Erie Times: Proposal For Underwater Electric Transmission Line From Canada To Erie County Seeking Government Approvals 

-- Utility Dive: PJM Board Approves $11.8 Billion In Electric Transmission Line Expansion Projects; $1.7 Billion NextEra/Exelon PA Project Opposed By PA Consumer Advocate

-- NextEra Energy/Exelon Welcome PJM Board Approval Of 220 Mile Electric Transmission Line

Impacts

-- WHYY: How Much Water Do Data Centers Use? This One In Delaware City Could Use 10 to 20 Million Gallons A Year

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: What A.I. Data Centers Could Mean For Lehigh County’s Water Supply? - By Liesel Gross, CEO of Lehigh County Authority

-- Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation: Report On Repurposing Flooded Abandoned Coal Strip Mines For Cooling Purposes, Heating Storage, Solar Development

-- Wall Street Journal: Land Grab For A.I. Data Centers Is One More Obstacle To Much-Needed, And Affordable Housing In Northern Virginia

-- Financial Times: President’s A.I. Data Center Push Fuels Revolt In MAGA Heartlands

A.I. Policy

-- WESA: Shapiro Wants Pennsylvania To Regulate A.I. Chatbots, How Would That Work? 

-- WITF: Public Access To Public Officials,’ Employee A.I. Research/Conversations May Be Limited, After Agency Ruling

[Posted: February 21, 2026]  PA Environment Digest