The Committee adopted amendments to both bills--
-- House Bill 2150 (Mullins-D- Lackawanna): Amendment
-- House Bill 2151 (Donahue-D-Lackawanna): Amendment #1 Amendment #2
Republicans opposed both bills and the amendments to House Bill 2151.
On House Bill 2151, Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron), Minority Chair of the Committee, said-- “I think we heard loud and clear at our hearing that we had on this bill that there's some challenges here with the legislation. And I think we heard that directly from organizations like the Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors.
“This legislation, which would create a model ordinance, would create the appearance of a one-size-fits-all state approved model ordinance when in fact the Commonwealth is very diverse and this particular model ordinance may be problematic in some areas where not in others.
“And there are a number of questions still regarding the legislation, specifically who's at the table, who's drafting this model ordinance.
“In my mind, municipalities are already dealing with the challenges that they face and do not need a model ordinance. And so I'm opposed to the legislation.”
Rep. Craig Williams (R-Chester) said-- “I've already started to receive feedback from municipalities in my district in opposition to this bill.
“In particular, Chadds Ford Township, which is a historic township centered around the Battle of the Brandywine, which has a very different feel than some of my other municipalities, has already developed its own ordinance relative to data centers and is right now trying to get that approved at the county level.
“I've got other municipalities who are already in discussions about that.
“Their worry and the worry of their solicitors is that, number one, if we engage in a commonwealth-wide form of rulemaking to come up with a model ordinance, you'll delay their opportunity to pass their own ordinances now as the counties start to shut down awaiting that product.
“And then the second is once there is a DCED statute in place or regulation in place that sets up a model ordinance, then you have a windmill against which other people can litigate against the municipalities for unfavorable treatment locally.
“In other words, by putting a standard out there that is ostensibly embraced by the Commonwealth, you set up litigation for the municipalities about their own ordinances, which of course I don't think the maker of the bill intended whatsoever, but it is absolutely in the same way that we see constant litigation over zoning regulations and ordinances, you'll see years of litigation, I assume by industry but it could be by environmentalists on the other side as well, about the ordinance passed by the municipality as compared to the standard of the model bill.”
Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia), Majority Chair of the Committee, responded by saying-- “I want to thank Rep. Donahue for bringing this bill to the Committee.
“And I want to make very, very clear that the good news is that this bill is not a requirement, it is not a mandate, and it does not in fact restrict local officials decision making in any way.
“It is optional. It is a model ordinance.
“And the bill as amended has the support of the Boroughs Association and the Township Supervisors [Association] with the bill as amended are neutral.
“I just want to make sure we have those out there, those facts.
“I think we all know that data centers are... It's an industry that is rapidly developing and local elected officials are doing the best that they can as this situation continues to evolve.
“I think this bill is responsible, it is thoughtful, and it gives local elected officials another tool as they seek to do their work in their neighborhoods.
“Again, I believe this optional model ordinance is something that could help local elected officials as they do their work and seek to make the best decisions for their communities.
“And I want to thank the representative for bringing this bill to our attention.”
On House Bill 2150, Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron), Minority Chair of the Committee, said-- “There are a number of concerns with this particular bill, and I'm going to point out a few of them.
“I'm concerned that the legislation specifically singles out one industry in Pennsylvania. So that's a number one concern.
“It also places requirements with a regulatory agency to collect this information. So, I'm questioning why this regulatory agency needs this data.
“And then there's a security risk for the agency that is collecting this data and compiling it. So, that's also a concern of mine.
“There's also a significant penalty on the reporting side of this.
“So overall, I think that this makes our state less competitive when looking at the legislation that's been proposed. And I would ask the members for a negative vote.”
Rep. Mike Armanini (R-Clearfield) said-- “I'm saying that this, in my opinion, is the new industrial revolution. This is the technical revolution of our country.
“We led in the first one. Is Pennsylvania going to lead in the next one?
“So we should be bringing forth legislation that our House and Senate side is an agreeance to so we can move Pennsylvania.
“This is so important that if we do not get this right, we are going to fail, and economically, Pennsylvania is not going to grow.
“We've heard from our union trades people, we need to start natural gas production to generate energy. We need to go at warp speed.
“All legislation should be in agreeance that it's going to go through the House and the Senate, so we can get this to the Governor's Office and get it signed to start moving Pennsylvania.
“We can't miss out on this opportunity. I fear with the way this legislation is written now, it is going to be faulty, and we are not going to win this. We must win this. That's all my comments.”
Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia), Majority Chair of the Committee, responded by saying-- “I thank Rep. Mullins for bringing this legislation to the energy Committee.
“I know data centers are something many people are talking about across our commonwealth, and I believe that they have potentially wide-ranging impacts for families as relates to their bills, related to our communities, and our environment.
“And I think it is both common sense and our responsibility as a legislature to better understand the possible impact of this rapidly growing industry that could have significant cumulative impacts for the Commonwealth.
“I also believe that a vast majority of the 13 million Pennsylvanians who would support efforts to gather this sort of information so we can have a better picture of what impact the industry is having, or could have.”
The amended bills now go to the full House for consideration.
Click Here for a video of the Committee meeting.
More Committee Meetings
The House Energy Committee has scheduled these other hearings--
-- March 16-- House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2223 (Fiedler-D- Philadelphia) advanced transmission technologies [Draft Bill], House Bill 2225 (Davidson) virtual power plants [Draft Bill] Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon to 2:30 p.m. Click Here to watch online.
-- March 23-- House Energy Committee informational meeting on the PA Energy Development Authority. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.
-- March 24-- House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2076 (Venkat-D-Allegheny) establishing a regulatory framework for geothermal energy for residential, commercial and industrial uses. Room B-31 Main Capital. 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.
Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia) serves as Majority Chair of the House Energy Committee and can be contacted by calling 215-271-9190 or click here to contact. Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5075 or by sending email to: mcauser@pahousegop.com.
Resource Links:
-- Senate DEP Budget Hearing: Kudos To DEP For Improving Permit Review Times; A.I. Data Centers; Due Process For ICE Warehouse Detention Centers; How Energy Storage Can Add Capacity To The Grid; Chesapeake Bay Cleanup [PaEN]
-- DEP Budget Testimony: Our Mission Is To Protect Our Air, Land And Water, It Takes Capacity And Resources, And This Budget Proposal Supports That Mission [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- The Derrick: PA US Senator McCormick Cosponsors Bill To Adopt Permitting Reforms For Electric Transmission Lines To Meet Growing Energy Demands [PDF of Article]
NewsClips This Week:
-- TribLive Guest Essay: Why Are Pennsylvanians Paying Higher Electric Bills - Data Center Demand, PJM, Natural Gas Price Spikes - By Trish Reilly, Centrist Democrats Of America
-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Can Electric Grid Meet A.I. Data Center Energy Demands Without Increasing Risks For Everyone Who Depends On It? - By Shixiang Zhu, Carnegie Mellon University
[Posted: March 2, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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