Sen. Tracy Pennycuick announced on May 27 a legislative package aimed at helping local communities address concerns about large data center development in their neighborhoods.
The proposed legislation would require large data centers to provide their own power supply and establish closed looped water systems using reclaimed or recycled water of at least 100,000 gallons per day. Facilities unable to meet this requirement would need to pay a mitigation charge intended to cover costs related to water, wastewater, infrastructure, and conservation so that these expenses are not shifted onto existing ratepayers.
Other provisions include prohibiting state and local government agencies from entering into non-disclosure agreements for data center development projects, banning foreign-owned companies of concern from operating data centers in Pennsylvania, and preserving local control by mandating at least two publicly advertised public meetings before any zoning decision is made on a proposed hyperscale data center. The legislative package also proposes creating a Pennsylvania Data Center Advisory Committee for the next ten years to monitor developments and recommend regulatory changes as needed. Additionally, it seeks to empower the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to develop and implement a Large Load Data Center Tariff so that data centers pay their fair share without shifting electric and grid infrastructure costs onto consumers or local businesses.
“Data centers should not be forced into communities, placed on every undeveloped or underdeveloped parcel, or advanced in locations where residents have made clear they are not in support,” said Pennycuick. “Projects of this magnitude carry significant implications for land use, infrastructure, energy demand, and water resources that must be considered carefully and transparently.”
Pennycuick has engaged in public service through her military career—including 26 years of service in the U.S. Army—and roles supporting veterans and law enforcement; she won election to the Pennsylvania Senate in 2022 after serving in the General Assembly; she resides with her husband—a fellow U.S. Army veteran—in Harleysville; she began her military career as a combat medic before earning a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia, according to the official website.
