PA Environment Digest Blog: Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Calls For ‘Pause’ In Development Of A.I. Data Centers To Allow Time For Communities ‘To Protect Themselves’

At 9:00 p.m. on May 28, Republican Candidate for Governor Stacy Garrity posted a video statement on her Facebook page calling for a “pause” in the development of A.I. data centers saying “We should not be rushing into massive projects before local communities have the opportunity to protect themselves.”

“These projects require enormous amounts of energy and water. They can create serious noise concerns and they should not be forced into communities.

“A total pause on data center development will give local communities the chance to update their zoning laws, protect residential neighborhoods and farmland, strengthen noise ordinances, and make sure taxpayers and rate payers are not the ones left holding the bag,” Garrity said.

“Before any new development moves forward, communities need real transparency, guaranteed rate payer protections, clear answers on water and energy usage, and a full understanding of the potential health and quality of life impacts from constant noise to added strain on local infrastructure.

“Pennsylvanians deserve the power to decide what is right for their own neighborhoods.”

“I have always believed Pennsylvania needs jobs, investment, and economic growth, but it has to be done the right way.

“What we cannot do is rush massive data center projects into communities before local residents have transparency, protections, and a real voice in the process.

“Our Commonwealth needs development, jobs, and investment.

“But you know what? We also need common sense.”

Click Here for the video statement.

Separately, ABC27 reported State Treasurer Garrity also called for the state Attorney General to investigate deals between the state and developers who partnered to bring data center projects to the state; like the proposed $20 billion investment Amazon announced in A.I. infrastructure in Pennsylvania last June.

Treasurer Garrity’s statement comes two days after Gov. Shapiro released his expanded GRID Standards for A.I. data center development linking compliance with the standards to continuing $517 million in state tax breaks to data center developers, if legislation is passed by the General Assembly. Read more here.

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) this week announced plans to introduce a package of bills requiring data centers to bring their own power supply, authorizing the Public Utility Commission to adopt a “large load tariff” regulating data centers, prohibiting non-disclosure agreements with officials on data center developments and other measures. Read more here.

Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh) also announced the introduction of legislation, with Rep. Jamie Walsh (R-Luzerne), repealing the state data center tax break and authorizing municipalities to adopt an 18-month moratorium on data center development proposals. Read more here.

PA Republican Senate Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) has said he has no plans to move any data center legislation. Read more here.

Evolving Position, With Cautions

Prior to these statements, State Treasurer Garrity was in support of data center development, but with cautions.

At a Press Club luncheon in January, WPSU reported Garrity saying-- “Forty-eight of our 67 counties in Pennsylvania are rural, so there are a lot of areas where you can put data centers that I think communities would welcome.”

“But you have to engage with them. You have to talk to them. You can’t just jam it down their throats,” Garrity added.

In a statement issued with the video on May 28, Treasurer Garrity said-- “As I have said for months, when it comes to data centers, there needs to be transparency and clear rules of the road need to be instituted

“Data center development demands thoughtful planning that focuses on affordable, reliable power that ensures development goals do not infringe on the needs of local communities.

“Companies need to work with local communities, bring their own water and energy generation, community engagement agreements must be signed, and ratepayers must be protected.

“Finally, local communities need to be protected through responsible noise ordinances and data center development restricted to industrial and brownfield sites, not residential areas. People must come first.”

At the same time, Treasurer Garrity supports “unleashing” Pennsylvania Energy industry by lifting the ban on new drilling sites on state-owned land that is holding Pennsylvania back and “call a Special Session on Energy to fast-track permits for natural gas production, pipelines, and power plants; eliminate duplicative and outdated regulations; set firm timelines for approvals; roll back costly mandates; and reform or pause renewable energy and efficiency mandates.”

Related Articles This Week - Data Centers:

-- Gov. Shapiro Releases Full Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development Standards (GRID) For A.I. Data Centers; New Local Government Data Center Planning Toolkit [PaEN]

-- Republican Senate, House Members Introduce Bills To Repeal A.I. Data Center Tax Break, Give Municipalities Authority To Enact An 18-Month Moratorium; Bills Not Likely To Move In The Senate, Republicans Opposed Data Center Bills In House [PaEN]

-- PUC: Electric Utilities Changing Cost Of Electricity For Customers On June 1 From 0.05% to 19.8% [PaEN]

-- PUC Schedules In-Person, Telephonic Public Hearings On 13.1% Rate Increase Proposed By Peoples Natural Gas Starting June 2 [PaEN]

-- Choose Clean Water Coalition: Legislative Recommendations To Protect Pennsylvania's Waterways For The Future - Agriculture, Abandoned Mines, PFAS, Lead, A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]

-- North American Electric Reliability Corp Summer Reliability Outlook Says Record Additions Of Generation- Solar, Batteries And Some Natural Gas- Have Strengthened Readiness, But Elevated Risks Remain [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Stormwater Permit For PPL Electric Tek Park Transmission Line Project To Connect To Proposed A.I. Data Center In Upper Macungie Twp., Lehigh County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On PECO Brandon Shores Retirement 500 kV Transmission Line Reconstruction Project Stormwater Permit In York County [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Comments On Stormwater Permit For The Mid Atlantic Interstate Transmission LLC Ashtabula-Erie West 345kV Rehabilitation Project In Erie County [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week: - Natural Gas

-- DEP: Sandstone Development LLC Operating Illegal Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In McKean County; Disposed Of 191,982 Gallons Of Wastewater, So Far [PaEN]