Shapiro Signs Order Limiting AI Data Centers in Pennsylvania
Gov. Josh Shapiro says he won't let developers 'run roughshod' over communities as he tightens rules on new data center projects.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Tuesday imposing new restrictions on AI data center developers, saying he had grown frustrated watching some companies disregard local communities even as he previously helped attract major projects to the state.
"I don't want developers running roughshod across our communities," Shapiro said Wednesday on "CBS Mornings." He said the order does not reflect a shift in his overall stance on data centers, pointing to his work last year helping secure a $20 billion investment from Amazon for two data centers in Pennsylvania.
Shapiro said the difference lies in how developers have treated residents. He described standing in the outfield of Eddie Staback Park in Lackawanna County, where he said a developer wanted to build a data center next to where parents watch their children play ball. He also cited a proposed project roughly seven miles from his home in Montgomery County, which he said a developer is pushing forward while ignoring community objections.
"These are not the kind of projects I want in Pennsylvania," Shapiro said.
The executive order creates a stricter review process for new data center proposals, requiring that developers secure their own power supply and obtain municipal approval before moving forward. Shapiro's office described the requirements as the toughest in the country.
"We've seen too many developers who are trying to bulldoze our community with these speculative deals that are never going to come into reality," Shapiro said. He added that developers with serious, community-backed proposals that protect the environment and generate power are still welcome to negotiate with the state.
Recent CBS News/YouGov polling found that Americans nationwide are more likely to oppose new data centers near them than support them, though most also say they know little about how the facilities operate.
Shapiro, seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, was also asked about the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America after several primary wins this cycle. He said Democrats face an internal ideological debate but need to focus on the midterms. "There is a ton of passion in the electorate right now, and a desire to defeat Donald Trump's chaos and cruelty and corruption," he said.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
