In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - October 26

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

Energy Costs

-- PUC Launches Working Group To Review Electric, Natural Gas, Water & Wastewater Utility Ratemaking, Address Affordability, Transparency And Changing Economic Conditions  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Electric Bills In The Pittsburgh Region Will Rise Again This Winter

-- KDKA: Electric Rates To Rise This Winter In PA As Power Demand Outpaces Supply Due To A.I. Data Center Demand, Experts Say

-- PUC Approves 3.94% Increase In National Fuel Gas Rates; One-Time $30 Credit For Low Income Customers; Enhanced Energy Efficiency Pilot; Extended Temporary Weather Normalization Charge

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PUC Denies FirstEnergy’s Idea For Controlling Electric Bills Among Shopping Customers  

-- The Center Square: PUC Considering FirstEnergy Proposal To Switch Electric Customers Back To Default Service Automatically If Competitive Supplier Contracts Expire

-- Spotlight PA: Higher Bills, Greater Risk Of Shutoff: FirstEnergy Seeks New Protections For Customers Who Shop For Electricity Suppliers

-- Reuters: US To Release Heating Oil From Reserve In Bid To Tame Prices

-- Financial Times: Iran War Sparks Heating Crisis In US Northeast As Heating OIl Prices Rise, Winter Approaches

Legislation

-- PA House Sends Clean Energy, PA EDGE Tax Credits, New Fee For Electric Ratepayer Rebates Legislation Back To Senate For Action; Does NOT Repeal Data Center Tax Exemption  [PaEN] 

-- ABC27: Bills That Could Ease High Electric Rates Trapped In PA Senate Legislative Limbo

-- Spotlight PA: PA Legislature Set To Wrap Up Its Session, Many Bipartisan Bills Left Stranded [Data Centers, Allowing Sexual Abuse Survivors To Sue, Rewriting Illegal 2nd Degree Murder Law, No Gift Ban]

-- Sen. Yaw To Introduce A.I. Data Center Impact Fee Modeled On Act 13 Shale Gas Impact Fee To Help Address Local Impacts  [PaEN] 

-- City & State PA Guest Essay: A.I. Data Centers Can Power Up Employment In PA - If Done Right [Supports HB 1834 Giving Authority To PUC To Regulate Data Centers] - By Robert S. Blair, Union Energy PA

Grid

-- Joint State Government Commission Issues Update On Report Looking At The Costs, Benefits And Risks Of Pennsylvania Participating In The PJM Interconnection; Hearings To Be Held  [PaEN]

-- PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank Elected President Of The Organization Of PJM States

-- Tribune-Democrat: Governor Wants In On Rate Case Against PPL To Change Utility’s Approach To A.I. Data Center Service

-- DEP Announces $14.4 Million Investment Of Federal Funds to Strengthen PA’s Electric Grid, Improve Electric Grid Reliability

Generation

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Westinghouse Adding More Fuel To A Nuclear Revival Ahead Of IPO

-- Utility Dive: What Google’s 100 MW Virtual Power Plant In PJM Says About The Race For Data Center Electricity [PA House Bill Pending In Senate To Authorize Virtual Power Plants] 

-- Utility Dive: Google Supersizes PJM Virtual Power Plant To More Than 1 GW [PA Does Not Authorized VPPs]

Land Use

-- Scranton Times: Archbald Council Unanimously Denies Wildcat Ridge A.I. Data Center Complex In Lackawanna County 

-- WVIA: Archbald Council Unanimously Denies Zoning For Wildcat Ridge A.I. Data Center Complex In Lackawanna County

-- Scranton Times: Exploring Archbald Boro’s Rationale For Denying Wildcat Ridge A.I. Data Center Complex 

-- Scranton Times Chris Kelly Opinion: Residents Of Mobile Home Park Chased Out After A.I. Data Center Developer Buys Land; A Fire Kills Affected Resident

-- PennLive: Amazon’s $9 Million Community Benefits Deal For A.I. Data Center Was Signed Without Salem Twp. Residents Knowing About It In Luzerne County

-- PennLive: Salem Township Solicitor’s Law Firm Gets 7.5% Payout From Township’s $9 Million Community Benefits Deal With Amazon Data Center In Luzerne County 

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Hazle Twp. Planners Say No To Rezoning For PNK Warehouses; Residents Concerned They May Be Turned Into Data Centers In Luzerne County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Hazle Twp. Planning Commission Sets Oct. 27 Meeting On Proposed A.I. Data Center Ordinance In Luzerne County

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Plains Twp. Commissioners Reject Proposal To Create A.I. Data Center Overlay District To Allow Data Centers/Power Plants In Luzerne County

-- Morning Call: Parkland School Board Joins Opposition To Project Atlas A.I. Data Center Across The Street From School; A ‘Ticking Time Bomb,’ Member Says 

-- Morning Call: Upper Mount Bethel Twp. Postponed Acton On A.I. Data Center Developer Challenge To Give Supervisors 60 Days To Act On Data Center Regulations In Northampton County

-- PennLive: A.I. Data Center Developer ‘Underestimated The Public Outcry:’ Pulls Proposal In Upper Hanover Twp., Montgomery County

-- Inquirer: Fight Over A.I. Data Centers In King Of Prussia Has Developer Eyeing Third Data Center Site In West Conshohocken Boro, Montgomery County

-- Inquirer: Residents Give Notice Of Lawsuit To East Whiteland Twp., Developer Over Approval Of A.I. Data Center In Chester County

-- Inquirer: How Chester County Residents Are Organizing To Fend Off Or Change Housing, A.I. Data Center Development

-- Reading Eagle: New Morgan Boro Residents File Lawsuit Against Borough Claiming Violation Of Sunshine Law In Vote To Allow A.I. Data Centers In Berks County

-- PennLive: Union County Tells A.I. Data Center Developer To Stop Construction On Electrical Substation That Would Serve Proposed Development

-- Williamsport Sun: More Details Surface On Allenwood A.I. Data Center Proposal In Union County

-- Altoona Mirror: Taylor Township OKs Ordinance To Regulate Possible A.I. Data Centers In Blair County

--  TribLive: North Huntingdon Twp. Considers A.I. Data Center Regulations In Westmoreland County

--  TribLive: Upper Burrell Planning Commission OKs Proposed A.I. Data Center Ordinance; Twp. Supervisors Must Approve In Westmoreland County

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Upper Burrell Twp. Puts Limits On A.I. Data Centers With New Ordinance In Westmoreland County

-- Tribune-Democrat: Somerset County Approves Ordinance Regulating A.I. Data Center Development Saying It’s ‘A Starting Point’

-- Tribune-Democrat: Somerset County Adds A.I. Data Center Ordinance As Proposals Surge Statewide

-- Tribune-Democrat: Homer City A.I. Data Center/Power Plant Complex Water Plans Scrutinized In Indiana County

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

Opposition

-- Pittsburgh Business Journal: Washington & Jefferson College Survey Finds 64% Of Adults In PA Want More Regulation Of Data Centers; 59% See No Or Little Benefit Of Data Centers; 47.5% Oppose Data Centers 

-- AP: Facing Pushback On A.I. Data Centers, Tech Giants Are Promising Hosts More Money, Fewer Secrets [PA Included]

Public Participation/Meetings

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Salem Twp. Supervisors Set Tuesday [Oct. 27] Hearings On Proposed A.I. Data Center Zoning Overlay; Likely To Vote Immediately Afterward In Luzerne County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Hazle Twp. Planning Commission Sets Oct. 27 Meeting On Proposed A.I. Data Center Ordinance In Luzerne County

-- DEP Invites Comments On Individual Stormwater Permit For Shippingport Power Station Natural Gas Fuel Yard In Beaver County For Aligned Data Centers Project  [PaEN]  

-- DEP Invites Comments On Individual Stormwater Permit For PPL Electric Stanton Swoyersville Exeter 69 kv Line Rebuild Project In Luzerne County  [PaEN] 

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

Politics

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: How A.I. Data Center Battles In Philadelphia Suburbs Could Impact Party Control Of The PA General Assembly

-- Inside Climate News: With A Trifecta, PA Democrats Would Pass Energy Reforms And Rein In A.I. Data Centers; But Gov. Josh Shapiro May Be ‘The Limiting Factor’ 

-- Inside Climate News: A.I.Data Centers Are ‘Front And Center’ In PA’s Competitive Congressional Elections

-- PA Capital-Star: Voter Backlash Against A.I. Data Centers Consumes Midterm Elections

A.I. Policy

-- KYW: PA One Of First States To Require Disclosures On A.I.-Generated Advertisements

-- WITF: PA Lawmakers Push For A.I. Safety Rules As Federal Action Lags

[Posted: October 24, 2026]  PA Environment Digest