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1h ago

Shapiro Signs Order Tightening Rules for Data Centers in Pennsylvania

The move makes GRID standards legally binding, forces developers to pay for energy costs, requires water protections, requires local approval before state permits are issued.

FILE - Cars drive past data centers on July 16, 2023, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
A growing amount of exposed rock is seen near intake tubes at Hoover Dam, where water levels have declined dramatically to lows not seen since the Lake Mead reservoir was filled after its construction, as climate change and growing demand for its water shrink the Colorado River and create challenges, in Boulder City, Nev., April 17, 2022.
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Overview

  • Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the executive order on Tuesday to fold his Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards into Department of Environmental Protection permit reviews for new data center proposals.
  • The order removes data centers from Pennsylvania’s fast-track permitting program and bars state agencies from signing nondisclosure agreements with developers.
  • Developers must secure required local approvals, sign legally binding consent orders to follow GRID rules, pay for grid upgrades and their own electricity, meet water-conservation and reporting requirements, and face penalties for noncompliance.
  • The administration says more than 100 proposed projects have been identified while only a handful hold permits, and it is not yet clear how the order will affect already announced or permitted projects such as Amazon-linked investments.
  • The action follows similar moves in other states and adds to growing regulatory uncertainty nationwide by shifting costs to developers, increasing local control, and raising questions about the pace and location of AI infrastructure growth.