PA House Passes Bill To Require A.I. Data Centers To Report Water Use, Discharges To DEP

On April 27, the House passed House Bill 2246 (Webster-D-Montgomery) requiring data centers to report on and regulate water use, water quality and other information on water discharges to DEP (sponsor summary).

The bill was passed by the House 116-84-- Republicans opposing, except for 10 members who supported the bill.   

“Data centers are rapidly expanding into Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Joe Webster, prime sponsor.  “These facilities often consume substantial amounts of water, primarily for cooling.  Larger data centers consume millions of gallons daily, on par with entire communities.  

“The impact of these massive withdrawals on local water supplies remains unclear, but one thing is certain: we must make sure that our residents, communities, and environment are not disproportionately affected. 

“To strike a balance between fostering economic growth and safeguarding our natural resources, my legislation would require covered data center projects with substantial water needs to proactively inform the state prior to construction.  

“This step will ensure that state agencies, in collaboration with local governments and river basin commissions, can assess potential impacts and ensure adequate considerations are in place to protect our water supplies.

“This approach supports responsible development while safeguarding access to fresh water for our communities.”

The bill now goes to the Senate for action

Related Articles This Week:

-- Environmental Health Project Calls On Gov. Shapiro To Address Health Hazards Of Fossil Fuels  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Announces $267 Million Investment In 31 PA Industry Projects To Reduce Air Pollution, Cut Energy Costs, Create Jobs, And Combat Greenhouse Gas Emissions In 23 Counties; Next Grant Round Opens May 15  [PaEN] 

-- Senate Committee Hears Electric Grid Issues Getting Worse; PJM Has Attracted 220 GW Of New Generation Proposals; PJM ‘Backstop’ Procurement Critical To Making Data Centers Pay For New Generation [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Sets May 4 Meeting To Act On More Bills To Address Electric Grid Reliability, Affordability Issues: Authorize Virtual Power Plants, Update Net Metering, More  [PaEN]

-- Concerned Citizens Of Montour County: Data Center Developer Wants To Make It Harder For Citizens To Appeal Zoning, Permits; DCED Secretary Explains More On How They Want New GRID Principles To Work  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Appoints Mark Szybist New Special Counsel For Energy Affordability  [PaEN] 

-- Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Publishes Model A.I. Data Center Ordinance; Links To Other Model Ordinances  [PaEN] 

-- DCNR: Grid-Scale Solar Energy Installations Are Not Permitted On Any DCNR Lands Or On Lands That Have Received DCNR Grant Funds  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Defense Fund: Rollback Of Federal Methane Emission Limits On Oil & Gas Facilities Have Wasted $4.8 Billion Worth Of Natural Gas That Could Have Served 22 Million Homes- And Counting  [PaEN]

-- US Dept. Of Energy Cyber Threat Center Issues Another Warning To Oil & Gas Industry About Automatic Tank Gauge Manipulation By Malicious Cyber Threat Actors  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA DEP Industrial Decarbonization Program RISE PA Doles Out First Large Grants

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: CNX Green Ventures LLC Received $31.5 Million RISE PA Decarbonization Grant For Coal Mine Methane Recovery, Largest State Grant 

-- PJM Interconnection: 220 GW Of New Power Generation Project Proposals Submitted To Connect To The Grid Under New Process 

-- Reuters: PJM Grid Operator To Begin Processing 220 GW Of New Generation Project Proposals

-- Utility Dive: 106 GW Of Natural Gas-Fired Generation Leads PJM’s Newly Reopened Interconnection Queue; A.I.-Enabled Google Tapestry Will Be Used To Review The Applications 

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: In 2025, PJM Energy Capacity Costs Were Up 300%, Congestion Costs Up Almost 80%, Total System Costs Up Over 50% - Massive Demand Shock Is Here - By Shahid Mahdi, EnerKnol 

-- Scranton Times: Dedicated Eynon Jermyn Road A.I. Data Center Power Plant Proposal Scrutinized In Archbald

-- WNEP: Archbald’s Energy Debate Heats Up At Conditional Hearing For Proposed, Dedicated A.I. Data Center Power Plant

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: As A.I. Data Center Site Work Starts In Cumberland County, Neighbors Struggle With ‘The Monster Next Door:’ Blasting, Twp. Roads Failing, Failure To Communicate

-- ABC27: A.I. Data Centers Dominate Statewide Township Leaders Convention 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Public Backlash Against A.I. Data Centers Creating A Buildability Crisis - By Peter Clark, InsideSources.com 

-- PA Capital-Star: Electricity Grid Maps Could Speed Addition Of Renewable Energy To PA, PA House Panel Hears

-- City & State PA Guest Essay: Choosing Electric, Natural Gas Suppliers Works For Pennsylvanians, Don’t Let New House Bill Take It Away [House Bill 2131 (Boyd-D-Delaware)] - By John Hanger, Former PUC Commissioner 

-- Utility Dive: NYISO Grid Operator Says Extended Heat Wave Could Cripple New York’s Grid This Summer; Reliability Margins Will Be Lowest In Recent History  

-- Utility Dive: Independent PJM Market Monitor Opposes 1.3 GW Natural Gas Power Plants Deal Taking Generation Out Of Capacity Auction Locking It Up To Serve A.I. Data Centers 

-- Utility Dive: PA Cong. Brian Fitzpatrick, Other Republican Members Of Congress Introduced Bill To Restore Renewable Energy Production, Investment Tax Credits For Much-Needed Generation Capacity 

-- Reuters: US Consumers Face Rising Electricity Prices Pushed By A.I. Data Center Demand, Rising Natural Gas Prices, Tariffs On Steel/Aluminum, While Benefits From Low-Cost Clean Power Capacity Emerge 

-- Financial Times: BP Warns Against Windfall Taxes As Iran War Helps Profits Hit 3-Year High

[Posted: April 29, 2026] PA Environment Digest