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

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

Energy Costs

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: A.I. Data Center-Driven Electricity Demand In PA, Surrounding States Outstripping Supply, Keeping Prices High

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: As Utility Rates Continue To Rise In PA, Coalition Is Pushing For Renewables To Rein In Costs

-- PA Coalition Launches Building A Brighter PA To Lower Energy Bills, Build A Clean-Energy Economy Over The Next 4 Years  [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: PJM Market Monitor: Data Centers Drove $6.3 Billion In July PJM Generation Capacity Auction Costs; Over Last 4 Auctions - $29.4 Billion In Costs

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Fails To Shield PJM Consumers From Data Center Power Transmission Costs Says PA Consumer Advocate, 4 Other State Ratepayer Advocates 

Legislation

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Plans To Take More Executive Action To Better Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Coming Weeks Since Senate Republicans Failed To Act

-- The Allegheny Front: Where Pennsylvania Stands With Regulating 80 A.I. Data Center Proposals

-- Spotlight PA: PA Lawmakers Leave $2 Billion A.I. Data Center Sales Tax Exemption Untouched In PA Budget

-- Reading Eagle: State Sen. Muth Criticizes State Budget Tricks, Failure To Pass A.I. Data Center Regulations

-- Inquirer: Shapiro Administration Consulted With Amazon And Data Centers On Shaping Governor’s GRID Data Center Proposals, Records Show [Reported Weeks Ago By Other Media]

-- AP: Democrats Seize On A.I. Data Center Backlash That’s Dividing Rural Republicans In Places Like TX, PA

President’s Voluntary ‘Pledge’

-- President Expands Ratepayer Protection ‘Pledge’ For A.I. Data Centers To Pay Full Cost Of Energy, Supporting Infrastructure  [PJM Ratepayers Already Paying $29.4 Billion In Added Electricity Costs]  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive/AP: President Expands Voluntary Pledge To Protect Consumers From High Utility Bills Driven By A.I. Data Center Demands

-- PPL Utilities Signs President’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge [Except It Doesn’t Cover Projects  Like Transmission Lines, Other Infrastructure Structure Already Approved]

-- PennLive: PPL Signs Pledge To Protect Consumers From Higher Electric Bills Due To A.I. Data Center Demand Saying It Already Follows Principles [PPL Ratepayers Now Paying For Grid Upgrades For Data Centers, Much Higher Power Bills Due To Spiking Demand]

Grid

-- The Center Square: PPL Electric Condemnation Of Land For Transmission Lines Needed To Feed A.I. Data Centers Triggers Stress, Anxiety In Luzerne County 

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Fails To Shield PJM Consumers From Data Center Power Transmission Costs Says PA Consumer Advocate, 4 Other State Ratepayer Advocates 

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: PJM Is Not Delivering Affordable Power Fast Enough In The Face Of A.I. Data Center Spiking Demands, Consumers Are Paying The Price - By Jeaneen Zappa, Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance

-- The Center Square: Future PJM Regional Power Supply Down, But Not Out 

-- PA Capital-Star: Advocates, Regulators Both Call For Reforms At PJM: ‘Market Participants Have Lost Confidence In PJM’s Decision-Making Abilities’

-- Utility Dive: FERC Will Impose Reforms To Deal With A.I. Data Center Demands If PJM Fails To Adopt Changes By September; PJM Failed To Attract Significant New Generation  

Generation

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Public Can Weigh In On Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Restart During July 28 NRC Meeting 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh-based Exus Renewables Secures $356 Million For 2 Wind Projects In Cambria County As Demand From Data Centers Accelerates

-- Tribune-Democrat: Exus Renewables Closes On Wind Energy Facility Financing For Cambria County Project

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Mainspring Linear Generator Secures State Funding For 600-Job Plant Near Pittsburgh

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Generation Decreased 4% In 2025; Coal-Fired Power Plant Generation Increased 13%; Wind & Solar Generation Increased 3% and 34% 

Land Use

-- Scranton Times: Archbald, Dickson City, Throop Boro To Hold Hearings This Week On A.I. Data Center Projects

-- Scranton Times: Citizens Cross-Examine Archbald Natural Gas Power Plant Developer Over Lack Of Specifics 

-- The Pocono Review: Archbald Borough’s A.I. Data Center Land Grab: What The Borough Kept Quiet 

-- Scranton Times: Hearing On 3 Proposed Natural Gas Power Plants To Feed A.I. Data Centers Postponed In Dickson City Due To Missing Environmental Assessment 

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: ‘Lucky’ Archbald Boro Receives Unsolicited Proposal From 7th Data Center Speculator From New York [Apparently Being ‘Blessed’ With 51 Proposed Data Center Buildings Wasn’t Enough]

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: Scranton Mayor, Congressional Candidate Calls On All 7 Speculators Proposing A.I. Data Centers In Archbald To Withdraw Proposals, Locate Them In Areas That Won’t Ruin Neighborhoods, Schools, Parks

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Salem Township Supervisors OK Plan To Surrender Streets To A.I. Data Center Project, Tabled Moratorium For Data Centers

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Lehman Township Adopts A.I. Data Center Regulations, Met With Positive Reception At Hearing

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Slocum Township Adopts Zoning Amendment To Regulate Future A.I. Data Centers

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Salem Twp. Planning Commission OKs A.I. Data Center Overlay Expansion To Allow 3rd Data Center Supported By Landowners Who Will Get A Combined $1.2 Billion In A Deal With An Unknown Data Center Company

-- Scranton Times: Speculator Buys 528 More Acres Of Conservation, Ag Land In Ransome Twp. For A.I. Data Center, 750 MW Battery Storage In Addition To Another Adjacent 402+ Acre Data Center Site 

-- Scranton: Land Bought By NY A.I. Data Center Speculator Included In Proposed Pumped-Storage Hydropower Project Site Using Old Forge Borehole In Ransome Township 

-- Morning Call: Lower Mount Bethel Township Officials Signed Confidentiality Agreements With Talen Energy On A.I. Data Center Development, Records Show

-- Morning Call: Lower Mount Bethel Township Fights To Preserve Its Farms, River From The A.I. Data Center Boom In Northampton County

-- Reading Eagle: City Of Reading Declares Zoning Ordinance Deficient To Work On A.I. Data Center Regulations

-- Bucks County Herald: West Rockhill Township Passes 2nd Version Of A.I. Data Center Rules Subject To Further Amendments 

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill County Commissioners Hear Public Concerns About Butler Twp. A.I. Data Center Proposal, Renewal Of Natural Soil Products Biosolids Site

-- Williamsport Sun: Muncy Twp. To Challenge A.I. Data Center Developer On His Assumption His Project Was ‘Deemed Approved’ Due To Inaction By The Township In Lycoming County 

-- Williamsport Sun: A.I. Data Center Talks Dominate Lycoming County Planning Commission Meeting

-- The Daily Item: A.I. Data Center Proposal Faces Hours Of Testimony, Public Scrutiny In Gregg Twp., Union County 

-- ABC27: Mifflin County A.I. Data Center Town Hall Postponed After Application Returned As ‘Incomplete’ By Granville Twp.

-- TheDerrick.com: Scrubgrass Township Supervisors Approve Ordinance Regulating A.I. Data Centers, But Supervisors Had Not Yet Addressed Comments On The Ordinance And Residents Asked How To Amend It  [Venango County] 

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Environmental Groups Turn To Crowdfunding To Challenge 3,200 Acre Homer City A.I. Data Center Project In Indiana County 

-- TribLive: Rostraver Twp. Residents Voice Concerns Over A.I. Data Centers; Local Officials Say None Planned In Westmoreland County

-- Observer- Reporter: Springhill Township Introduces Ordinance To Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Fayette County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: A.I. Data Center Developers Are Offering Communities, Individuals For Project Approvals; It’s Not A Silver Bullet [PA Highlighted]  

-- Pittsburgh Media Partnership: Pennsylvania A.I. Data Center Proposals Map

Impacts

-- AP: Virginia Releases Long-Delayed Study On Groundwater, Data Centers Calling For Tighter Water Regulations

Public Participation/Meetings

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Public Can Weigh In On Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Restart During July 28 NRC Meeting 

-- Scranton Times: Archbald, Dickson City, Throop Boro To Hold Hearings This Week On A.I. Data Center Projects

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

A.I. Policy

-- AP:  OpenAI Says Its A.I. Technology Acted On Its Own In An ‘Unprecedented’ Hack Of Another Company - A ‘Mind-Blowing’ Event

-- Wall Street Journal: A.I. Chatbots Know How To Make Deadly Biological Weapons, Some Will Teach You

-- The Economist: Why The OpenAI Escape Is The Most Worrying A.I. Mishap Yet; Containing This Technology Is Getting Harder 

[Posted: July 26, 2026]  PA Environment Digest