The Right To Know response also included a February 3, 2026 email from DCED Secretary Rick Siger to Amazon Web Services representatives saying the GRID Principles announced in the Governor’s February 3 budget address “are intended to be voluntary, and the Governor is not proposing to ban or even discourage data centers or other large loads that don’t agree to implement them from siting here.”
Siger also said in the email, the GRID Principles will “not look back at projects or agreements already in place, like those we are working on together.”
Concerned Citizens of Montour said in the Reel: “Our group sees other communities getting absolutely steamrolled by this [data center] influence, and we are here to tell you that your fight is working and you need to keep going.
“How do we know this? Because these developers are getting frustrated with the state. We have the email to prove this.
“And best of all, we have some lobbying language that they want the [Shapiro] Administration to consider to put an end to it.”
Making It Harder For Citizens To Appeal
A March 6, 2026 email from Brian O’Neill, a real estate developer involved in data center projects in Southeast PA, to Benjamin Kirshner, PA’s Chief Transformation and Opportunity Officer for the Shapiro Administration, said appeals of permits and zoning decisions for data center projects are making it difficult for companies like Amazon to get the certainty they need to work in Pennsylvania.
The March 6 email reads in part--
"Amazon just informed us in writing, and I have sent you the email, that they will not be doing any projects in Pennsylvania until they get certainty that the projects they have invested in can move forward.
“In conversations, they have pointed out to us that they have been appealed in every project at every turn.
“We are complying 100% with all the governor's objectives, including brownfield, existing reuse, behind-the-meter power, closed-loop systems, etc.
“We want to make sure we are not going to get appealed frivolously by people that just want to slow us down for sport as they are currently doing to Amazon.
“Please include this in your policy and legislation--
“ 1. Data centers should be required to build behind-the-meter power and should be protected from frivolous appeals.
“To ensure the construction of behind-the-meter power, those who wish to appeal EPA, DEP, or zoning applications for data center power should have to post a bond equal to two times the damages they would cause the developer.
“Example, if a $2 billion development is postponed due to an appeal, they should have to post a $4 billion bond.
“ 2. Zoned sites should have the right to build data centers so long as they comply with the zoning requirements.
“1. In order to ensure quick construction for users who need data center space now, anyone who wishes to appeal a zoned site should have to post a bond equivalent to two times the damages that are causing the developer, i.e., if a $2 billion development is being held up, they should have to post a bond for $4 billion.”
“Ben. Our phase one project generates $44 million in taxes versus $400,000 currently being paid by buildings which are empty and are being down valued to reduce those taxes. See the grid below.
“These taxes will pay over $30 million to the school district which needs to retool to prepare our children for A.I., an expense that people are greatly underestimating, and $10s of millions of dollars to the county and municipality.
“Our project is 20X the value of the Comcast Tower:
-- Our 1 GW Data Center costs $35.16 Billion.
-- The Comcast Tower total project cost was: $1.5 Billion
-- The Comcast Tower generated 20,000 construction jobs.
-- Comcast Tower created 2,800 permanent jobs
-- The construction phase alone was projected to generate $2.75 Billion in economic activity within the state of PA.”
There was no response included in the Right To Know file from Benjamin Kirshner.
GRID Principles - Explained
As noted, the Right To Know response to Concerned Citizens of Montour County also included an email from DCED Secretary Rick Siger to Amazon Web Services representatives sent on February 3, 2026 at 8:51 a.m. before the Governor’s budget address at noon that same day.
The email includes a more complete explanation from the Shapiro Administration on how the GRID Principles will work.
The text of the email said in part--
“I wanted to reach out and share details about new “Data Center Principles" he [Governor] will be announcing (that you spoke with our team about yesterday), as well as our desire to work with you both to flesh out and refine the Principles, but more importantly put them into practice.”
“The Principles are intended to be voluntary, and the Governor is not proposing to ban or even discourage data centers or other large loads that don’t agree to implement them from siting here.
“What he is proposing is to condition state support going forward—things like his vocal support, fast track permitting, and favorable tax treatment—on the degree to which proposed projects adhere to the Principles.
“We think that this creates an opportunity for social license, much like a LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified building; projects will have the opportunity to get a stamp of approval from the state (and additive state support) by following a set of common-sense best practices.
“Also like LEED, we anticipate different tiers of commitment, which correspond to differing levels of support from the state.”
“The Principles fall in four buckets: 1) maintaining energy affordability; 2) transparency and direct community engagement; 3) local workforce and economic development; and 4) protecting our environment.
“Examples of the first Principle includes data centers bringing their own sources of energy.
“Transparency and community engagement includes things like sharing information with the host community that will allow it to make informed decisions about the facility: such as traffic information, and potential emissions.
“The local workforce and economic development Principle includes things like hiring and training local workers and entering into community benefit agreements.
“Finally, the environmental principle includes commitments to water conservation and energy efficiency.”
“While the Governor is going to propose these Principles today, we very much want to engage with all of you to make them strong and workable and would like to set up meetings with the appropriate members of your team.”
“On a personal note, our team has benefitted enormously from AWS’ commitment to PA as we learn about this incredibly fast-moving industry.
“We particularly look forward to our continued work to grow your presence here, and want to emphasize that his new approach will not look back at projects or agreements already in place, like those we are working on together.”
Action Items
The Concerned Citizens of Montour laid out a series of action items for communities fighting against data centers--
“House Bill 2151 (Donahue-D-Lackawanna) must be stopped dead in its tracks. You need to absolutely pummel your state senators to oppose this bill.
“Despite this bill being touted as adopting an optional model data center ordinance, this is a dangerous piece of legislation.
“We would suspect that it is primarily being constructed by data center lobbyists, and also a sneaky way for the state to preempt control over all the local ordinances our communities are working hard on.
“You absolutely need to question the integrity intentions of anyone who already voted for this bill at the House level and anyone who continues to do so in the state Senate.
“You need to get loud about opposing this bill.
“House Bill 2198 (Vitali-D-Delaware). This is an amazing piece of legislation that was introduced by Democrat Greg Vitali out of Delaware County.
It is simple. Get rid of the massive tax incentive that our state currently offers to data center developers.
“We know they want to be here. They don't need extra incentives. It is estimated that the data center developers will save about $2 billion in tax revenue because of this.
“Greg Vitali wants to see it repealed, but his own party won't advance his bill in the House.
“It is bottlenecked in the House Finance Committee because of Rep. Steve Samuelson not advancing it.
“Look up his office number [717-705-1881 or 610-867-3890 or email: samuelson@pahouse.net ] and call him to demand this bill get moved forward.
“To Governor Shapiro directly, the Better Path Coalition has feverishly been inviting you to a statewide virtual data center town hall on May 13th. Your office has not responded to them.
“Community members are engaged. Do you actually want to listen or are you going to have your administration continue to ignore us and keep getting marching orders from Amazon and other developers?
“To communities all throughout Pennsylvania, we see you here in Montour County. We are fighting with you and for you.
“Do not give up, and keep showing up en force at local meetings.
“In the words of Ben Franklin when fighting for independence, "We must indeed hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
“Stay loud, stay engaged, make phone calls, send emails, vote according to how legislators respond.”
Visit the Concerned Citizens of Montour County Facebook page to learn more.
Upcoming Event
May 13-- Better Path Coalition To Host A.I. Data Centers Virtual Town Hall Meeting, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Resource Links:
-- PA Capital-Star: Montour County Denies Rezoning Plan For 800 Acres Requested By Talen Energy For A.I. Data Centers
-- Inside Climate News - John Hurdle: Grassroots Resistance To Data Centers Rises In Pennsylvania [Montour County Highlighted]
-- Montour County Commissioners Vote To Reject Talen Energy’s Request To Rezone 800 Acres Of Agricultural Land For Industrial A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
[Posted: April 27, 2026] PA Environment Digest.
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