As the industrial-scale artificial intelligence (“AI”) data center industry enters society, there are many unanswered questions about how it will impact Pennsylvania communities. However, what we know for certain is that energy experts are sounding the alarm: Pennsylvanians could face large-scale blackouts and brownouts as soon as 2027. This crisis is largely driven by new data centers coming online faster than the power grid can support them.
Pennsylvania's Constitution guarantees us the right to both economic prosperity and a healthy environment, and these goals must be pursued together.
It is essential that we demand accountability from our elected officials: constituents will not tolerate being forced to subsidize the costs associated with data centers.
Affordability Is A Bipartisan Issue
Big tech companies are racing to develop AI and data centers across the country, yet their economic value remains unclear.
Pennsylvania is the largest market for data centers in the country. A major concern is that this new industry, with its unprecedented energy and water demands, is moving too fast to analyze its impact.
A lot is unknown about data centers, including the sustainability and long-term relevance of this particular tech boom. We do know we need to proactively protect consumers’ electric bills by reasonably regulating data centers as part of responsible state and local oversight of this uncharted territory.
Electricity affordability is a state-wide nonpartisan issue impacting people’s lives, not a political jousting tool.
Without data center-specific regulations, we face significant risk to electricity security, grid stability, and high electric bills across the Commonwealth.
We Need Responsible Data Center Development
Data centers are multi-story, large footprint computer sites that require alarming amounts of electricity and water to run and cool their systems.
Projections state that data centers will command 10-12% of all electricity consumption in America by 2028. A 15-megawatt data center can use up to 360,000 gallons of water per day. AI-focused sites can reach 5 million gallons per day –– enough water to supply a town of 50,000 people for a day.
Advocates are scrambling to identify solutions and protect ratepayers while lawmakers push rapid data center development throughout Pennsylvania. Residential and commercial ratepayers are projected to shoulder the cost of the electricity demand of data centers, largely because of electricity supply deficits. Utility companies are already struggling to keep up, passing along cost increases of the proposed 20+ data centers to customers. This is just the beginning.
Solutions for responsibly managing data center development could include:
Infrastructure Upgrades → Require that data centers cover the cost of transmission lines supporting state and national energy transition goals.
Quickly Deploy More Clean Energy to our Grid → Prioritize the integration of renewable energy sources that would bring more affordable, clean energy quickly onto our grid in order to meet increasing demand. The clean energy economy is ready for PA, but our lawmakers need to act swiftly to bring it online.
Maximize Energy Efficiency → Impose strict efficiency standards on data centers, ensuring that their growth does not disproportionately burden the grid or increase continued overreliance on non-renewable legacy energy sources, such as expensive fossil fuels.
Local Community Protections → Develop state-supported data center-related tools for local municipalities to utilize when addressing their local ordinances and updating their zoning laws in an effort to meet the moment and protect their local tax revenue for community needs, such as school and healthcare funding.
Bring Their Own Energy → Require data centers to supply their own energy, rather than taking energy from people. Incentivize their use of more renewable energy sources (invest in on-site renewable energy systems).
Transparent Reporting and Resource Usage → Implement mandatory reporting and resource usage monitoring requirements to hold data centers accountable for their impacts to our environment, our land, and our communities.
Hold Our Lawmakers Accountable
Despite the rhetoric we are hearing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania policy can attract development while ensuring we do not sacrifice affordable electricity and clean water for hard-working families.
Economic prosperity and a healthy environment can and should go hand in hand; we have a right to both under the Constitution of Pennsylvania.
We need to hold our lawmakers accountable: Let them know that we, their constituents, won't stand for having to foot the bill for data centers.
