Coinciding with advances in AI technology and demand, and Pennsylvania’s decision in 2021 to exempt data center equipment from the sales and use tax, our state has seen a proliferation of data center development over the last few years, with reports of more than fifty new data centers added and proposed in the state during this time.

Our municipalities, which decide local land use policies, have struggled to understand the myriad environmental and community impacts of this new industry and to review and revise their zoning ordinances to keep up with the influx of interest from data center developers.

I am therefore proposing to give municipalities the option of placing a moratorium on data center applications so that, if they choose, they can revise their ordinances and establish conditional use policies addressing issues like power supply, water consumption, noise and setbacks which they determine protect the community’s interest.

Please join me in empowering our municipalities to place a moratorium on data center development and establish appropriate guardrails for this rapidly growing industry in their land use policies.