In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - March 30

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

Energy Costs

-- House Energy Committee Hears How Geothermal Energy Could Meet 100% Of PA’s Electricity, Heating Needs Offering True Energy Independence And Freedom From Foreign Energy Markets Costing Pennsylvanians Billions  [PaEN]  

-- PA Solar Center, Solar United Neighbors Are Putting Out The Call For Volunteers To Spread The Word For True Energy Independence For Pennsylvania!  [PaEN] 

-- Peoples Gas Proposes To Increase Residential Base Rate By 13.1% or Just Over $16 Per Month 

--  TribLive - Jack Troy: Peoples Natural Gas Proposes Raising Average Monthly Bill $16 Or 13.1%

-- TribLive: High Oil, Natural Gas Prices Could Outlast President War On Iran

-- Inside Climate News: President’s ‘Drill Baby Drill’ Meets Volatile Oil/Natural Gas Market Reality

Generation

-- DEP Issues Request For Information On Proposed Electric Generation Or Storage Projects Eligible For State Sponsorship Under PJM Expedited Interconnection Track [PaEN]

-- Technical.ly: PA Turnpike Built Its Own Data Center Powered By A Solar Microgrid With Energy To Spare

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Mystery Site For 4.3 GW Natural Gas Power Plant Site In SW PA Has Officials Wondering; Transmission Line Project May Hint At Site 

-- Utility Dive: NextEra To Develop 9.5 GW Of Natural Gas Power Generation In PA, TX [Still No Details Offered On Data Center Projects] 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Homer City A.I. Data Center, 4.4 GW Natural Gas Power Plant Construction Hits 1,000 [Temporary] Workers

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster County To Get PA Taxpayer Funds For Emergency Planning Related To Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Feed Microsoft A.I. Data Centers

-- PennLive: Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Accident Changed The Country Nearly 50 Years Ago

-- TribLive/AP: TotalEnergies Accepts $1 Billion In US Taxpayer Funding To Walk Away From 4 GW Of Much-Needed Wind Energy Generation In US To Invest In US Oil And Gas Production  

-- AP: President’s Administration’s $1 Billion Taxpayer Settlement With TotalEnergies Blocks 4 GW Of Much-Needed Wind Power Generation, Diverts Funding To Oil, Natural Gas Development

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: 5-Year Waits And Rising Costs For Natural Gas Generation Turbines Redefining The Energy Market - By Electric Power Research Institute [Utility Industry Group] 

-- Inside Climate News: 2 Wildly Different A.I. Data Centers Reveal A ‘Fork In The Road’ On How To Meet Electricity Demand- Intelligent Use Of Renewables, Energy Management Or The Same Old Build A Big, Expensive Power Plant 

Grid

-- Scranton Times: PPL To Hold March 31 Open House On A.I. Data Center Transmission Line, Infrastructure Projects In Archbald, Luzerne County Paid For By Ratepayers  [To Take 3 Years To Build]  [PDF of Article]

-- Morning Call: PPL Among Utilities Singled Out For High Profit Margin In Industry Watchdog Report

-- The Center Square: PUC Receives $2 Million Federal Grant For Electric Grid Upgrade Study

-- Utility Dive: Proposed PJM A.I. Data Center Colocation Plan Takes Fire From Vistra Power, Data Center Group, Others 

-- Utility Dive: Better Grid Utilization Could Save Customers $170 Billion: Brattle Report

Legislation

-- PA House Passes Bill To Authorize Public Utility Commission To Regulate A.I. Data Centers To Make Them Pay Their Own Way  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer: PA House Members Make Their First Move To Regulate A.I. Data Centers, As Industry Booms

-- City & State PA: PA House Lawmakers Approve A.I. Data Center Regulation Bill

-- Beaver Times: PA House Passes Bill To Shield PA Energy Users From A. I. Data Center Costs

-- The Center Square: House Moving Bill To Require A.I. Data Centers To Warn State Regulators About Water Needs

Land Use

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Green Group Calls For Halt To A.I. Data Centers In PA Until New Laws Are Passed

-- TribLive: Digital Gold Rush: With The A.I. Data Center Boom Heading To Western PA, Virginia Offers A Roadmap And Warnings

-- WVIA: Residents, Elected Officials Want Gov. Shapiro’s PA Permit Fast Track Program To Slow Down When It Comes To A.I. Data Centers

-- Pottstown Mercury: Model Data Center Zoning Ordinances Coming To The Fore  [PDF of Article]

-- Williamsport Sun: Gregg Township, Union County Eyed As Possible Site For A.I. Data Center 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Western PA Is Ripe For A.I. Data Center Development, But Challenges And Concerns Remain

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna County Seeks State Funding To Update Land Use Plan, Zoning Ordinances To Address A.I. Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: A.I. Data Center Developer Challenges Dickson City’s ‘Exclusionary’ Zoning Regulations

-- Scranton Times: Archbald, Jessup Boros Postponed A.I. Data Center Hearings

-- Scranton Times: Archbald Boro Sets March 27 Meeting On 18 Building A.I. Data Center Campus As Deadline Looms 

-- Scranton Times: Archbald Denies Application For 18 Building A.I. Data Center Campus 

-- Scranton Times: Moosic Boro Continues Navigating A.I. Data Center Zoning Process 

-- Scranton Times: Ransom Twp. Planning Commission Discusses A.I. Data Center Ordinance

-- Scranton Times: Hollenback Twp. Supervisors Table Vote To Replace Special Counsel For A.I. Data Center Issues In Luzerne County

-- Scranton Times: Developer Submits New Site, Road Plans For 1,800 Acre A.I. Data Center Campus In Salem Twp., Luzerne County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Salem Twp. Planning Commission Tables A.I. Data Center Plan, Solar Energy Facility Application

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Homer City: Turning An Unexpected Place Into A.I. Data Center Hub In Indiana County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Map Of Where Proposed A.I. Data Center Sites Are In Pittsburgh Region

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Owners Affirm 2027 Restart Date To Feed Power To Microsoft A.I. Data Centers Despite Approval To Join Grid May Not Come Until 2031

-- Inquirer: How Some PA Townships Fight A.I. Data Center Next Door

-- Inquirer: A.I. Data Centers Are Eyeing Counties Around Philadelphia Drawing Pushback From Residents Across The Region

Education

-- The Daily Item: Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance To Host April 2 A.I. Data Center Discussion In Lewisburg 

-- PA Community Organizing Summit On A.I. Data Centers April 18 In Pittsburgh  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Hosts April 21 Webinar: Agriculture Meets Hyperscale A.I. Data Centers   [PaEN] 

A.I Policy

-- AP: Perfect Homework, Blank Stares: Why Colleges Are Turning To Oral Exams To Combat A.I.  [PA Highlighted]

-- The Center Square: A.I. Infiltrates Health Care In PA, But Concerns And Skepticism Abound

[Posted: March 29, 2026]  PA Environment Digest