Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled new guardrails Wednesday for data center development in the commonwealth, laying out detailed benchmarks for developers to hit on energy affordability, transparency and job creation.
The new principles come as the governor, a potential Democratic presidential contender, has sought to promote artificial intelligence growth despite growing community backlash to the massive data centers in the state that has seen electricity prices jump by an average of 45 percent since 2018.
The Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development — or GRID — standards Shapiro announced on Wednesday are an effort to balance the economic development opportunities brought by the advancement of AI while also tackling residents’ concerns about the massive electricity demand, water usage and transparency with local communities from data centers.
While the standards are not enforceable by law, they are designed to set expectations for any developer seeking support from the state, either through faster permitting timelines or access to state tax incentives.
