State Senator Jarrett Coleman and State Representative Jamie Walsh have introduced a coordinated package of bills in both the Senate and the House of Representatives aimed at curbing data center expansion across Pennsylvania. The proposed legislation seeks to eliminate current state-level financial incentives for technology companies and grant local municipalities the authority to temporarily freeze any new development applications. The move comes amid intensifying statewide debate over the rapid influx of massive computing facilities and their strain on local resources.
Under the first part of the package, Senate Bill 1344 and House Bill 2532 would completely repeal the state’s Computer Data Center Equipment Exemption program. Enacted in 2021, the current program incentivizes technology firms to build in Pennsylvania by exempting data center equipment from the state sales and use tax. The second portion of the package, Senate Bill 1345 and House Bill 2533, would empower local governments to enact an 18-month moratorium on both unapproved and new data center applications. Lawmakers emphasize that this pause would allow municipalities crucial time to overhaul their local zoning ordinances and establish strict new guidelines regarding power grid supply, high water consumption, noise pollution, and property setbacks to better protect their communities.
