PennFuture's President & CEO Patrick McDonnell issued the following statement--
“Today’s state budget agreement fails Pennsylvanians - despite the overwhelming bipartisan support for sensible policies that would reduce utility bills for families, advance clean energy, promote clean water, and regulate data centers, none of that made it into this deal.
“In fact, this budget prioritizes fracked gas companies by allowing them to drill even deeper, a strategy that only serves to further enrich wealthy CEOs as the rest of us watch our electricity bills climb higher due to our overreliance on this unreliable and expensive energy source.
“In contrast, this budget continues to cut funding for our popular state parks and forests.
“Politicians continue the dangerous shell game of tying funding for parks to an unstable revenue source based on the very fracking that threatens them.
“This budget does take a small and important step to increase transparency around the impact of data center development through reporting on energy and water usage.
“However, this measure does nothing to mitigate the negative impact of unchecked development across Pennsylvania.
“In March, PennFuture called for a statewide moratorium on data center development pending the successful adoption of policies to protect all of us from this extractive industry.
“Lawmakers must act when session resumes in the fall.
“Pennsylvanians suffer from high costs and very real concerns about our ability to keep the lights on and protect our natural resources.
“But this legislative session has seen numerous attacks on clean energy, clean air, pure water, and our most treasured parks and forests.
“This budget process provided an opportunity to advance real solutions to these issues.
“Today’s budget deal defers critical decisions to a future legislature and Governor when we are out of time.
Alex Bomstein, Executive Director of Clean Air Council, said--
“The negotiations around the budget this summer were an opportunity to move ahead on important legislation such as a moratorium on new hyperscale data centers and removing barriers to clean and abundant renewable energy.
“And this budget should have secured critical funding for transit systems across rural and urban Pennsylvania communities.
“Instead, legislators passed a state budget that doesn’t change much and left the Capitol without taking meaningful action on the issues that matter most to Pennsylvanians.
“While a status quo budget could be a lot worse, it is a missed opportunity.
“This will continue to force transit agencies across the state to cut services and increase fares.
“Big tech and fossil fuel interests will continue to pollute our air, raise our energy bills, and take advantage of our communities.”
Resource Links:
-- Budget First Look: At Best A Cost To Carry Environmental Budget, Supports Oil & Gas Program Operations, Several Data Center Provisions But Not A Moratorium Or Pause [PaEN]
-- A.I. Data Center Legislative Scorecard: Pennsylvania Failed To Finalize Meaningful Legislation On Energy Affordability, To Increase Electric Generation And Give Communities The Tools They Need To Cope With A.I. Proposals [PaEN]
-- Environmental/Energy Groups: Final State Budget Fails To Address Critical A.I. Data Center Issues And Skyrocketing Energy Bills [PaEN]
-- PA Environmental Council: New State Budget Leaves A.I. Data Centers Unresolved, Big Win For Advanced Transmission Line Tech, Modest Progress On Other Energy Issues [PaEN]
-- More Reactions: Final State Budget Fails To Take On Growing Concerns About Energy Affordability And Keeping The Lights On [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- PJM Data Center-Driven Power Auction Prices Limited By $325/MW-Day Cap; Without Cap Would Have Been 70% Higher In PA, Most Areas; Missed Reliability Target By 6,831 MW [PaEN]
-- PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation Alert For July 15; Requested & Received DOE Order To Put Data Centers On Backup Generators, Exceed Environmental Standards If Needed From July 15 To 21 [PaEN]
-- PJM Issues Hot Weather Alert For July 14 - 17; PJM Confirmed It Reached New All-Time Peak Load Demand 2,595 MW Over Previous Record [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Reuters: PJM Power Grid Auction Hits Prices Limit, Falls Short Of Reliability Goal
-- PA Capital-Star: PJM Interconnection Electricity Price Hits Cap Again In Latest Auction
-- New York Times: A.I. Data Centers Add Billions In Power Costs In PJM Region
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA State Budget Saves $500 Million Data Center Sales Tax Exemption Amid Growing Opposition To A.I. Boom
-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: RISE PA Decarbonization Grants Expected To Reduce Industrial Air Pollution In Pennsylvania
-- The Allegheny Front: Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Authorize Balcony Solar To Offset Electricity Bills
[Posted: July 14, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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