Pennsylvania data centers will have to report how much energy and water they use under the commonwealth’s newly enacted budget deal.
Signed Sunday by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro after passing the Democratic-led House and the Republican-led Senate the same day, the budget legislation also aims to hold down energy bills by requiring utilities to consider “advanced transmission technologies” before expanding or building new power lines.
But the budget represents a smaller swing at data centers than Pennsylvania leaders say they want.
Shapiro has called for new standards that data centers must meet in order to get state tax incentives. The House passed that plan in June on a bipartisan vote, but it has not advanced in the Senate and wasn’t included in the budget. Shapiro’s gubernatorial opponent, GOP State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, has called for a moratorium on new data centers.
