Contact: Anthony Campisi
Anthony@WalnutLaneStrategies.com
(732) 266-8221
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania applauds Governor Shapiro’s New Data Center Standards
Following the official release of the Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards aimed at managing the rapid expansion of large data center facilities, Molly Parzen, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, issued the following statement:
We applaud Governor Shapiro for releasing additional standards to bring long-overdue accountability to the rapidly expanding data center industry in Pennsylvania. This initiative from the Governor is a step in the right direction to protect Pennsylvanians by establishing clear metrics around energy affordability, environmental protection, community engagement, and workforce development. These standards recognize that we cannot allow Big Tech to threaten our environment or our financial stability.
Yet while we appreciate the Governor’s attempt to incentivize data centers to behave responsibly, the legislature and administration must continue to act to mandate that every data center developer is held to a high standard that protects our communities.
The state House of Representatives has taken the first step by advancing key protections for our communities and working families. The legislation that House Democrats passed would require data centers pay their fair share for grid upgrades and couple their expansion with new clean energy to limit the impact on energy prices and by providing municipalities with tools to respond to data center proposals in their communities.
The ball is now squarely in the court of the Senate, particularly Republican leadership. They must decide whether they will stand with multi-billion-dollar tech corporations or Pennsylvania families struggling under skyrocketing electricity costs.
Pennsylvanians need Senate Republicans to work with the Governor and their colleagues in the House to hold data centers accountable and protect our clean air and water, safeguard impacted communities from unmitigated development and ensure working families are shielded from skyrocketing electricity prices. It is time for the Senate to take up these critical protections and put Pennsylvania ratepayers ahead of Big Tech profits.
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