With the rapid expansion of data centers in Pennsylvania, constituents have increasingly raised concerns about how these facilities would impact communities across the state. These facilities consume enormous amounts of water and electricity, placing added pressure on our grid, our infrastructure, and ultimately, on the ratepayers we represent. Without intervention, these costs will continue to grow.
This resolution would direct the Joint State Government Commission to produce a report investigating how heat from data centers can be captured and repurposed. Waste heat recovery is a system that increases energy efficiency, lowers operating costs, and reduces emissions by turning waste heat into a valuable public resource.

Included in this written report are:
 

• Opportunities to redirect heat from data centers for community benefit.
• Potential economic and environmental benefits of waste heat recovery.
• Barriers to implementation in Pennsylvania.
• Policy recommendations to accelerate deployment.

Waste heat recovery is an opportunity for Pennsylvania to either absorb rising costs or convert waste into an asset. This report would build the foundation for informed, data-driven policy that protects ratepayers, strengthens energy resilience, and positions the Commonwealth as a leader in efficient infrastructure.

I urge you to join me in co-sponsoring this resolution that aims to investigate waste heat recovery technology and its applications in Pennsylvania. Let’s advance solutions that could turn a growing burden into a potential public benefit through waste heat recovery.