In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - April 27

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

Energy Costs

-- Philadelphia Business Journal: PECO CEO David Vahos Out Following Rate Hike Backlash: Mike Innocenzo To Return 

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: PECO Announces New Leadership Following Controversial Rate Hike And Stalled Union Negotiations

-- Join May 7 Webinar On Energy Rate Cases And Energy Affordability Advocacy At The PUC  [PaEN]   ​

-- Reuters Commentary: Welcome To The Age Of [Fossil] Energy Shocks

-- Washington & Jefferson College: Energy Insecurity On The Rise In US - One-Third Of All US Households Are Struggling To Pay Basic Energy Bills

-- WHYY: President Proposes Completely Eliminating Low-Income Heating Assistance Program Saying It’s ‘Unnecessary’

Legislation

-- WNEP: Rally At PA Capitol Calls For A.I. Data Center Moratorium

-- KeystoneNewsroom.com: PA A.I. Data Center Surge Sparks Local Fears Over Pollution, Power Costs And Weak Oversight 

-- Scranton Times: Locally Sponsored Bills Addressing A.I. Data Centers Pass State House

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Locally Sponsored Bills On A.I. Data Centers Deserving Of PA Senate Passage

-- Inside Climate News: Maryland Passes Energy Bill That Delivers Short-Term Relief, Locks Ratepayers Into Long-Term Nuclear Subsidy

-- AP: Maine Governor Vetoes A.I. Data Center Moratorium

Generation

-- DEP Files Final Consent Decree Stipulating Changes At The Keystone And Conemaugh Coal-Fired Power Plants To Resolve Wastewater Violations And Allow For Continued Operation  [PaEN] 

-- The Allegheny Front: Gov. Shapiro Moves To Keep 2 Coal-Fired Power Plants Open In Western PA, As Energy Demand From A.I. Data Center Grows

-- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Largest Coal-Fired Power Plants Would Stay Open Until 2032 In Proposed DEP Deal

-- The Center Square: President, Shapiro, McCormick Applaud Decision Keeping 2 PA Coal-Fired Power Plants Running 

-- PA Coal Alliance Applauds DEP’s Action To Keep The Keystone, Conemaugh Coal-Fired Power Plants Open  

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: An A.I. Data Center/Drive-In Power Plant Double Feature

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pennsylvania’s Huge Advantage In The A.I. Future - Manufacturing, Energy Generation - By PA Manufacturers’s Assn., Pittsburgh Technology Council  [Manufacturers Do Not Support Any Caps On What You Pay For Electricity]  

-- Utility Dive: PPL Utilities In Kentucky Eye 266 MW Pump Storage Hydroelectric Project To Meet Data Center Demands; At $4.9 Million/MW, The Project Doesn’t Appear Viable

-- The Center Square: High Costs, Long PJM Timelines For Grid Upgrades Delaying 26 Gigawatts Of New Power Plants

-- Bloomberg: Cost To Build A Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant Surges 66%

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Shale Gas Driller Poised To Capture A.I. Data Center Power Plant Demand In PA, OH, WV 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: NextEra Expects Government Agreements Within 3 Months For $17 Billion A.I. Data Center Power Plants In Texas, Pennsylvania [‘We Are Actively Developing Both Projects,’ A 9.5 GW Plant ‘Somewhere South Of Pittsburgh’]

-- President Invokes Wartime Powers To Fund Coal, Natural Gas Pipelines, Storage, Processing, LNG, Petroleum, Power Grid Infrastructure Projects [PaEN]  

-- Utility Dive: Federal Court Curtails President’s Moves To Block Or Delay 57 Gigawatts Of Much Needed Wind, Solar Energy Development 

Grid

-- Scranton Times: PPL Acknowledges Transmission Line, Substation Projects Based On Proposed A.I. Data Centers [Nondisclosure Agreements Prevented PPL From Discussing Operation Of The Data Centers]

-- WNEP: A.I. Data Center Opponents Question PPL Transmission Line Projects In Lackawanna County 

-- Republican Herald: Butler Twp. Electric Substation To Anchor A.I. Data Center In PPL Powerline Overhaul In Schuylkill County

-- The Center Square: High Costs, Long PJM Timelines For Grid Upgrades Delaying 26 Gigawatts Of New Power Plants

-- Post-Gazette - Leura Legere: Utility Watchdogs Say Rate Request By Proposed 220-Mile NextEra/Exelon Kammer Juniata Power Lines In PA To Feed Data Centers Would Turn Existing Ratepayers Into ‘Piggy Bank’ 

-- Utility Dive: Independent PJM Market Monitor Opposes Granting Waivers To Constellation Energy To Connect Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant To Grid; Request Meets None Of The FERC Criteria

-- Utility Dive: Sudden, Unexpected A.I. Data Center Load Loss Events Prompt North American Electric Reliability Corp Alert, Recommendations 

Land Use

-- PA Capital-Star: Township Supervisors Across PA Urge Colleagues To Adopt Zoning For A.I. Data Centers: ‘You Want To Be Able To Set The Rules’

-- Scranton Times: Developer Of 18 A.I. Data Centers In Archbald Boro Claims His Proposal Was ‘Deemed Approved’ March 31  [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: Scott Twp. Approves Zoning Changes Addressing A.I. Data Centers, Solar Energy Facilities

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Salem Twp. Planners Delay A.I. Data Center Proposal Vote, Hear Residents’ Concerns

-- Reading Eagle: Cumru Twp. Passes Berks’ First A.I. Data Center Ordinance

-- Morning Call: New A.I. Data Center Proposal Converting Allen Township Warehouse Received By Lehigh Valley Planning Commission

-- Morning Call: Developer Proposing To Replace Massive Lehigh Valley Warehouse In Allen Twp. With A.I. Data Center Short On Details Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Says

-- Inquirer: Dozens Packed East Vincent Twp. Meeting In Chester County On Pennhurst A.I. Data Center Proposal; Officials Called For Removal Of An Attendee After Crowd Could Not Be Quelled 

-- Inquirer: Tredyffrin Twp. In Chester County Is Trying To Get Ahead Of A.I. Data Centers With New Ordinance That Would Limit Development

-- PennLive: Texas Firm Continues Due Diligence On $45.6 Million Dauphin County Land Deal For A.I. Data Center

-- York Daily Record: What To Know About Rexroth Proposal For A Conewago Twp. A.I. Data Center

-- Republican Herald: North Manheim Twp. Moves To Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Schuylkill County

-- TribLive: Gilpin Twp. Supervisors Pass Proactive A.I. Data Center Regulations In Armstrong County

Impacts

-- PennLive: Constellation Energy Wants 66% More River Water For Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant; Locals Say Big Tech Is Profiting While They Pay The Price

-- ABC27: Residents Weigh In On Water Use Proposal Tied To Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant In Dauphin County 

-- PennEnvironment: A.I. Data Center Growth Threatens Air Quality, Progress Toward Cleaner Energy Grid 

-- Scranton Times: A.I. Data Centers An ‘Increasing Source’ Of Air Pollution, American Lung Assn. Report Says 

-- WIRED: New Natural Gas Powered A.I. Data Centers Could Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than Entire Nations - 129 Million Tons A Year  [2.5 times the emissions from all the natural gas power plants in PA] 

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: A.I. Data Centers Don’t Have To Be A Burden On Communities And Can Even Support Them [But They Have To Be Designed/Built Much Differently Than They Are Now] - By Gregor Henze and Sean Shaheen, The Conversation

Public Participation

-- TribLive: Homer City Data Center Campus Power Plant: Citizens Group To Meet April 26 In Indiana Boro To Share Information On A May 12 DEP Hearing On Natural Gas Pipeline Permit

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Permit For Amazon Data Services To Add 86 Diesel Generators To A.I. Data Center Project In Salem Twp., Luzerne County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Permit For Amazon Data Services To Add 280 Natural-Gas Fired Generators To A.I. Data Center Project In Falls Twp., Bucks County [PaEN] 

-- DEP Accepting Comments On Renewal Of An Air Quality Permit For 23 Diesel Generators At The Iron Mountain Underground  Data Center In Butler County  [PaEN] 

Meetings/Hearings

-- Join May 7 Webinar On Energy Rate Cases And Energy Affordability Advocacy At The PUC  [PaEN]   ​

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA Host May 8 Online Southeast PA Environmental Movement Committee Meeting On A.I. Data Centers, Chester Incinerator, LNG Gas Terminal Proposals  [PaEN] 

-- PA Data Center Hearings & Meetings - Physicians For Social Responsibility PA

A.I Policy

-- Post-Gazette: Educators Ask State To Create Policy For A.I. Use In Schools

-- CNBC: A.I. Data Center Backlash Threatens PA Republican Incumbents In 2026 Election

[Posted: April 26, 2026]  PA Environment Digest